New Delhi, July 5 -- The government has relaxed the eligibility conditions for appointing the next chairman of state-owned ONGC by raising the maximum entry age to 59 years and offering the successful candidate a fixed three-year term extendable by up to two years, widening the pool of eligible contenders to head India's largest oil and gas producer.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), the government's headhunter for appointments to state-run firms, has invited applications for the post, which will fall vacant on December 7 when incumbent Arun Kumar Singh completes his extended tenure.

Under the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) advertisement, candidates should not have attained the age of 59 years on the date of occurre...