The Maharashtra government on Thursday tightened recruitment rules for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Other Backward Class candidates to competitive exams in the state. Those candidates who avail relaxations in age, educational qualification, experience or number of attempts, will no longer be eligible to claim selection under the open category. Candidates who clear the competitive exams without availing these relaxations will continue to remain eligible for selection in the open category on merit.

The government’s Cabinet note stated that reservation in government jobs in the state has touched 72 per cent and that this has led to an increase in competitiveness in the open category.…