Jammu and Kashmir government raises retirement age of medical, university faculty

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir government today announced enhancement of retirement age of faculty members of Universities and Medical Education department from 60 years to 62 years.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here, an official spokesman said.

The cabinet also approved the reckoning of the five years of service, rendered by 'Rehbar-e-Taleem' teachers before regularisation, for the purpose of fixing their seniority and counting such service for pension and other retirement benefits.

It was also decided that after regularisation the services of 'Rehbar-e-Taleem' teachers shall be transferable within the district to which they belong.

On June 13, Omar had announced that increase in the retirement age of faculty members of Universities and Medical Education was under active consideration of his Government to help these institutions maintain standards of teaching and retain highly experienced faculty.

"It has been observed that due to disparity in retirement age of the faculty of Centre Universities and other Universities in the State, it has become difficult for the State Universities to retain their qualified and experienced faculty.

Similar is the case in the Medical Education Department. Therefore, the Government is actively considering enhancement of the age of faculties of State Universities and Medical Education," the Chief Minister had said.

Omar-led coalition government has taken a number of measures including enhancing the retirement age of government employees from 58 to 60 years and transfer policy and service benefits of first five years of Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers after a drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections which saw the coalition candidates losing all the six seats to opposition PDP and BJP.