MANIPUR GOVERNMENT COLLEGES urgently need good teachers. So, the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment for 419 Assistant Professor posts is welcome news. It brings hope to students, parents, and thousands of young people who have worked hard for academic careers.
But this same recruitment also brings a painful shock, because one rule can stop many qualified people even before they get a chance to compete. The notification says an applicant “shall not be less than 21 years and not more than 38 years as on 19th January 2026.”
On paper, that may look like a normal rule. In Manipur’s real situation, it becomes unfair because Assistant Professor recruitment has often come after long gaps (more than 11 years). Reports show that an earlier large recruitment for 280 Assistant Professors began around November 2014 and was completed around January 2016, and public commentary described that 2014 advertisement as coming after a hiatus of about nine years.
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After 2014, regular large-scale recruitment did not happen for many years. When recruitment comes late like this, the age cap stops being a neutral condition. It becomes a punishment for delay.
Teaching careers are different from many other jobs. A serious academic pathway takes time. A candidate usually completes a Master’s degree, clears NET, often completes a PhD, writes research papers, attends seminars, and teaches as a guest or contract teacher while waiting for regular posts. Many do this work on small honorariums. These are not “wasted years.” These are the years that create strong teachers and improve colleges.
That is why one national fact is important for everyone to understand. For UGC-NET, the Assistant Professor category has no upper age limit to appear. At the same time, recruitment rules are decided by the employer—state government, PSC, university, or college. In simple words: Manipur has the power to set recruitment age rules, and Manipur also has the power to correct them when they create injustice.
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If anyone thinks this is only “theory,” look at the human reality. Many candidates in Manipur cleared NET in their 20s. They then spent years doing PhD work, publishing, and teaching on contract because regular posts were not announced. When recruitment finally arrives after a long gap, some cross 38 and get disqualified in one line—despite being exactly the trained and experienced teachers our colleges need.
Here is a typical story that many Manipuri families will recognise. A candidate cleared NET in 2017, finished a PhD in 2024, and has been teaching as guest faculty since 2019. Today that person is 39. Under the current rule, that person cannot even apply. This is not a failure of merit. It is a failure of timing.
This problem does not only hurt candidates. It also harms colleges and students. When trained NET/PhD candidates are blocked, the selection pool becomes smaller. Departments depend more on temporary arrangements. Research culture becomes weaker. Students lose the benefit of stable, experienced faculty. A fair age policy is not only justice for candidates—it is also good for the quality of higher education in Manipur.
India already shows that age policy for teaching posts can be designed in different ways. Some UGC-style recruitments explicitly follow a no upper age limit approach, like central universities, certain Delhi-based recruitment notices.
Kerala offers another model: for some Assistant Professor recruitments, the age window has gone up to 50. These examples prove one simple point: age rules for Assistant Professor posts are a policy choice. Governments can design them in a way that protects merit instead of destroying careers.
So what should Manipur do now?
The best and most practical step is a one-time age relaxation for this recruitment cycle, because the harm is happening right now. After that immediate correction, Manipur can choose a stronger long-term reform for teaching posts. The state may adopt a no upper age limit approach for Assistant Professor recruitment, in the spirit of many UGC-pattern recruitments. It can protect quality because selection will still be through qualifications, screening, and interview.
Finally, Manipur must fix the root cause: irregular recruitment. The state should announce and follow a fixed recruitment calendar, at least once every one or two years. When recruitment is predictable, controversy reduces, fairness improves, and colleges get better teachers on time.
Manipur needs strong colleges. Strong colleges need strong teachers. Strong teachers are built through years of study, research, and classroom work. The state should not close the door on such people because the door was opened too late. This problem is not limited to colleges. Manipur’s government schools are also facing a serious teacher shortage.
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Many citizens and reports speak of thousands of vacant teacher posts in primary schools. If these vacancies are not filled on time, government schools will struggle to function properly. When there are not enough teachers, students suffer, parents lose confidence, and the government school system becomes weaker year by year.
Manipur must not turn administrative delay into permanent disqualification.
(The author is Director, Apunba Imagi Machasing (AIMS), Manipur. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ukhrul Times. Ukhrul Times values and encourages diverse perspectives. The author can be reached at aimsmanipur96@gmail.com.)