Chennai, Oct. 30 -- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday ordered a five-year increase in the upper age limit for direct recruitment to government services, providing relief to thousands of job aspirants who were nearing or had crossed the existing age limit.

According to an official press release, the revised age limit will be applicable over and above the existing limits prescribed under the rules and will be in addition to the age relaxations already available to candidates belonging to reserved categories, including Backward Classes (BC), Backward Classes (Muslims) [BC(M)], Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities (MBC & DNC), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and destitute widows.

The Chief Minister ...