Government jobs for SC and ST candidates 2026 — age limits with +5 applied

Every age limit below already includes the five-year SC/ST relaxation, computed on each exam's own cutoff date — 47 exams, 26,169 vacancies. These are the limits that apply to you, not the General ones printed on listing sites.

Five years is a substantial difference. India Post GDS runs to 45 rather than 40, and the railway exams to 38 rather than 33.

All 47 exams, with last dates

Sorted by closing date. Ages shown are the limits that apply to you after relaxation; relaxations for other categories are applied in the free check.

The certificate does not expire, but the format matters

Unlike OBC-NCL, an SC/ST certificate has no income condition and no annual renewal — caste status does not lapse, and a certificate issued years ago remains valid.

What does matter is the issuing authority and the format. The certificate must be issued by a competent authority — typically the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Collector, Deputy Commissioner, Sub-Divisional Officer or Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tehsildar — in the format prescribed in the notification's annexure. A certificate on the wrong proforma is rejected even when the underlying entitlement is unquestioned.

Check the annexure in the notification against your certificate before applying. If it differs, a fresh certificate on the correct proforma takes time to obtain.

Fee waivers, and why they are worth using deliberately

SC, ST, PwD, ex-servicemen and women candidates are exempt from the examination fee in most central recruitment. In practical terms every form on this list is free to you.

That should change your behaviour. The main reason candidates skip forms is the cumulative cost of applying to everything — and that reason does not apply to you. Apply to every exam you are eligible for in a cycle. There is no financial downside and each form is an independent chance.

Stacking, and the cap that catches people

The +5 is a social category relaxation. A disability certificate adds +10 on top, for +15 total — a 30-year post reaches 45. Ex-serviceman entitlement deducts service years in addition.

One thing to watch: a few notifications specify an absolute maximum age that no combination of relaxations may exceed. Where that appears, the cap governs even if the arithmetic gives a higher number. Our check applies whichever result is more favourable to you and shows which rule it used.

Relaxation is applied at the cutoff, not today

The relaxed limit is measured on the notification's own cutoff date, exactly as the General limit is. An ST candidate turning 39 in October is still 38 for an exam that reckons age on 1 July, and remains eligible for a 33+5 post.

Every verdict on this site names the date it used and shows the arithmetic — base limit plus relaxation — so you can check it against the notification rather than trusting us.

SC / ST उम्मीदवारों के लिए सरकारी नौकरी 2026

Frequently asked questions

How many years of age relaxation do SC and ST candidates get?

Five years in most central government recruitment. A post with a limit of 30 becomes 35, and India Post GDS extends from 40 to 45.

Does an SC/ST certificate expire?

No. There is no income condition and no annual renewal. What matters is that it was issued by a competent authority in the proforma the notification prescribes — a certificate on the wrong format is rejected even though the entitlement itself is not in question.

Are SC/ST candidates exempt from the exam fee?

In most central recruitment, yes — along with PwD, ex-servicemen and women candidates. Since applying costs nothing, there is no reason to skip any exam you are eligible for.

Can SC/ST relaxation combine with disability relaxation?

Yes. They are separate dimensions and add: +5 and +10 gives +15, so a 30-year post reaches 45. Some notifications set an absolute maximum age that caps the total; our check applies whichever outcome favours you and says which rule applied.