RETIREMENT AGE: HC DISMISSES TEACHERS’ PLEA
The petitioners had sought issuance of a directive from the state government on the basis of the regulations issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Dismissing the petitions, a Division Bench comprising Justices C N Ramachandran Nair and P S Gopinathan said that fixing of retirement age was a policy decision of the state government and the court cannot interfere in the matter. It is for the state government to take a decision on whether the UGC guidelines should be implemented or not.
The court accepted the argument of the state government that a lot of qualified people were waiting for their turn to get appointment as teachers in colleges.
"The UGC packages and incentives are only recommendable or advisory in nature. The government can decide whether they should be adopted or not. If the retirement age is extended, then qualified people waiting for their turn will have to remain unemployed for another ten years which may deplete their quality and capability," the court said.
The petitioners submitted that they were forced to retire from service at the peak of their careers and that their professional experience which would have helped the students was not being utilised. The court directed the state government to seek the possibility of employing retired teachers on contract basis and to frame guidelines in this regard.
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