LUCKNOW, Jan. 6 -- In a major relief to lakhs of youth preparing for police recruitment, the Yogi Adityanath government has approved a one-time relaxation of three years in the maximum age limit for direct recruitment to police and prison department posts in Uttar Pradesh. The decision applies to Direct Recruitment-2025 process, covering a total of 32,679 constable and jail warder posts. Acting on the directions of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government issued a government order on Monday, granting age relaxation to candidates of all categories. The move follows the recruitment notification released by the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) on December 31, 2025, and has been taken under Rule 3 of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (Relaxation of Age Limit for Recruitment) Rules, 1992. According to the order, the one-time age relaxation will be applicable to recruitment for constable civil police (male/female), constable PAC/armed police (male), constable special security force (male), women constable for women battalions, constable mounted police (Male), and jail warder (male and female). The UPPRPB has uploaded the relevant notification on its official website, enabling candidates who had earlier become ineligible due to age limits to participate in the selection process. Meanwhile, applications are already open for the recruitment of 32,679 posts in the police and prison departments. As per the detailed notification issued by UPPRPB, the vacancies include 10,469 posts of constable civil police (Male/Female), 15,131 PAC/armed police constables (male), 1,341 Special Security Force constables (Male), 2,282 female constables for Women Battalions in Lucknow, Badaun and Gorakhpur, 71 mounted police constables (male), 3,279 jail warders (male) and 106 jail warders (female). Online applications are being accepted from December 31, 2025, to January 30, 2026. The last date for payment of the application fee is January 30, while fee adjustment can be done up to February 2, 2026. One Time Registration (OTR) has been made mandatory before submitting the online application. The recruitment board has clarified that only male candidates are eligible for PAC/armed police, special security force and Mounted Police posts, while only female candidates can apply for women battalion posts. Both men and women are eligible for constable civil police and jail warder posts. The age relaxation decision has been widely welcomed by aspirants. It is being seen as a morale booster for youth affected by delays in recruitment over recent years. The move underlines the state government's stated commitment to youth welfare, fair opportunities in competitive examinations, and expansion of employment avenues. Candidates have been advised to carefully read the detailed notification and regularly visit the UPPRPB website, uppbpb. gov.in, for updates related to the recruitment process....