As Panjab University (PU) awaits the approval of previous amendments to enhance the retirement age of teachers, it has proposed fresh amendments in its calendar. The proposed amendments recommend that the retirement age be increased to 65 years, as per the regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC), instead of the current retirement age of 60 years. The regulations committee has recommended these amendments, which will be discussed in the next meeting of the syndicate, PU’s executive body.
The proposal for retirement age enhancement was sent to the central government by PU in 2011 but approval is still awaited. The proposed amendments for retirement age enhancement for teachers at non-government colleges affiliated with PU will also be sent to the central government for approval after the syndicate and senate approve them.
The senior university official stated that the committee had proposed the retirement age should be as per UGC regulations to avoid changing it frequently. The retirement age at government colleges in Chandigarh has increased to 65 years since the implementation of central services rules, but the benefit has not been extended to PU due to its inter-state body corporate status.
The retirement age of teachers at the seven aided colleges in Chandigarh is also 60 years, as per PU regulations. The UT administration cannot enhance the teachers’ retirement age to 65 years unless the necessary amendments are made in PU’s regulations, despite recent protests by staff members.
PU teachers had approached the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking the enhancement of retirement age, but lost the first round of litigation. However, the teachers approached a division bench in 2014, which stayed the operation of the single bench order and allowed teachers to continue in service until 65 years. The division bench vacated the latter order on September 19 last year, but the Supreme Court stayed the order to vacate the 2016 stay order, and the matter is still pending before the HC.
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