BENGALURU: Th state department of higher education has proposed to increase the retirement age of teachers working at government degree colleges and state universities. According to the proposal, the department wants to increase the retirement age of degree college lecturers from 60 to 62 and those working at state universities from 62 to 64.
In an official communication issued to the heads of all state universities, the department has asked them to send a detailed report of the service record of faculty members with regard to retirement age.Many academics, however, are against this and opine that the decision will suppress opportunities for youngsters.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, one of the former vice-chancellors of Bangalore University said, "The government should look at providing employment to youngsters who are eligible. Instead of doing that, I wonder why they are planning to extend the retirement age."
"This will be an injustice to youngsters who are willing to take up teaching," he added.Benaka Raju, a guest faculty member at one of the colleges in city, said, "I have cleared the eligibility test conducted by the state government to teach at degree colleges. But, I still have not got the job because there is no recruitment. When this is the situation of thousands of people like me, imagine what will happen if the government increases the retirement age of those already in service."
Rajashree, who works as a guest faculty at a government degree college, said, "If they extend the retirement age, by the time the government calls for recruitment, we will be old and will not be eligible to apply. Government should not yield to such pressures."
However, department officials said the proposal is not from the department. "We have received a representation from the University teachers association demanding to increase the retirement age to 65 as per the University Grants Commission guidelines. In the representation, they have said that several states have already implemented the same. As we cannot take any decision without getting an approval from the Finance Department, we have sought reports from university heads to calculate the financial burden," a senior official from the department explained.