The Jharkhand government has notified new rules for direct recruitment of sportspersons in government services, allowing eligible athletes to apply for jobs up to the age of 50 depending on their category.
The Direct Recruitment of Sportspersons Rules, 2026 have been issued by the Department of Tourism, Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs to provide government employment opportunities to outstanding athletes of the state.
Under the rules, sportspersons will be eligible for appointment to government posts in pay matrix levels ranging from Level-1 to Level-9, depending on their achievements in recognised national and international competitions.
Eligible candidates must be domiciles of Jharkhand and should have represented the state or the country in recognised events such as the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, world championships or national-level competitions, according to the notification.
The maximum age limit has been fixed at 45 years for general category candidates, 47 years for backward classes, 48 years for women and extremely backward classes, and 50 years for SC/ST candidates.
Officials said the new rules aim to encourage sports talent in the state and create opportunities for sportspersons to enter government service.