The Assam government has decided to raise the upper age limit for recruitment to Grade III and Grade IV posts to 40 years from 38, a move intended at benefiting the educated unemployed in the state.

Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal made the announcement in his Independence Day address. He said the step to will provide unemployed youths more opportunities to get into the government force.

The decision comes within few days of the government announcing to deposit Rs 830 a month in the bank accounts of 17 lakh families in the poll-bound state. Assam goes to the polls in April-May next year.

According to a government statement in the Assembly in August 2019, Assam has 16,99,977 educated unemployed registered with the employment exchanges across the state.