Retirement Age Pleas Rejected: High Court Rejects Retirement Age Hike Pleas Filed by University Professors
Retirement Age Pleas Rejected: The High Court has dismissed petitions seeking an increase in retirement age for professors of agriculture veterinary and horticulture universities, stating that such decisions fall under government policy.
Retirement Age Pleas Rejected: Professors from agriculture, veterinary, and horticulture universities in Telangana have suffered a setback after the High Court dismissed their petitions seeking an increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
The court observed that determining the retirement age of employees is a policy matter that falls within the authority of the government. It made clear that courts cannot interfere in such decisions unless there are exceptional legal grounds.
A total of 13 petitions were filed by teaching staff from Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, P V Narasimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University, and Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University. The cases were heard by Justice K Sharath.
The petitioners argued that they receive University Grants Commission pay scales similar to faculty members in other universities and therefore should also be eligible for the enhanced retirement age. They referred to a government order issued earlier this year that extended the retirement age of teaching staff in universities under the Higher Education Department to 65 years.
Among those who approached the court were retired faculty members, including Assistant Professor Dr Achamamba, who sought continuation of service on par with professors working in other state universities.
However, government counsel argued that the agriculture, veterinary, and horticulture universities function under separate administrative departments and not under the Higher Education Department. Therefore, the benefits provided through the government order could not be automatically extended to them.
After considering arguments from both sides, the court agreed with the government’s position. It ruled that the implementation of retirement age policies depends on administrative and policy decisions taken by the state government and cannot be claimed as a matter of right simply because UGC pay scales are being implemented.
With this ruling, the retirement age for faculty members in these universities will continue to remain at 60 years unless the state government decides otherwise in the future.
