Gandhinagar, December 22, 2025: The Gujarat Home Department has amended the Bombay Home Guards Rules, 1953, by increasing the maximum age limit for serving members of the Home Guards to 58 years. The decision has been formalized through a notification issued from the Sachivalaya in Gandhinagar.

The amendment has been made in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 8 of the Gujarat Home Guards Act, 1947. The revised provision, titled the Bombay Home Guards (Amendment) Rules, 2025, will come into effect from January 15th 2026.

According to the notification, existing Rule 9 of the Bombay Home Guards Rules, 1953, which dealt with the age limit of Home Guards personnel, has now been substituted with a new provision. The amended rule states that a member of the Home Guards may continue to serve until he attains the age of 58 years. It also includes a proviso that allows the state government to relax the age limit in suitable cases, thereby providing flexibility in exceptional circumstances.

The earlier provision for Rule 9 of the Bombay Home Guards Rules, 1953 stated that a member of the Home Guards could continue in service until he attained the age of 55 years, and that the Commandant General could relax this age limit in suitable cases. This was the age-limit clause in the original Rule 9 before it was substituted by the recent amendment raising the age limit to 58 years.

The notification was issued by Deputy Secretary to the Government of Gujarat, Mayursinh Vaghela, under the orders and in the name of the Governor of Gujarat.

Officials believe that the revision in age limit will help retain experienced Home Guards personnel for a longer period, ensuring better preparedness and continuity in auxiliary security and disaster response duties across the state.

The Home Guards Force was formed on 6th December, 1947 in the Greater Mumbai State to help the police in maintaining law and order and for internal security in natural and man-made disasters.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi had last month while declaring the decision said – ‘this force is doing excellent work as a supplementary force to the police in the state. The Home Guards personnel perform all the daily duties including election security, traffic duties, night patrolling, VIP security, religious/fair security along with the police by rendering honorary service. This decision will increase the spirit of serving the nation among the Home Guards members, and they will be able to perform their duties faithfully for another three years.’

‘This decision will give the Home Guards members an opportunity to serve the nation and society for another three years. Not only this, the members of the Home Guards are honorary and have family responsibilities. With the increase in the retirement age, they will be able to better fulfill their family and social responsibilities. Since the Home Guards members are geographically and socially connected with the people at the field level, they will be able to further help the police in better performing the law and order functions of the state.’

DeshGujarat