Kakatiya University Teachers’ association demand increase in retirement age
AKUT General Secretary Dr Taduri Shasthree said that many State governments across India had already raised the retirement age of university teachers to 65 in accordance with the UGC guidelines
Warangal: The Association of Kakatiya University Teachers (AKUT) has demanded that the State government increase the retirement age of teachers working in State universities from 60 years to 65 years.
In a press note here on Friday, AKUT General Secretary and Executive member of The Federation of University Teachers Associations of Telangana State (FUTATS) Dr Taduri Shasthree said varsities were facing staff crunch for a long time in the absence of fresh recruitment.
“Prof T Tirupati Rao Committee in 2017 itself had recommended to the State government to enhance the age of retirement by three or even five years based on the recommendations made by the UGC in 2008. The 14 State-run universities are going through severe faculty crunch with hundreds of senior teachers having retired from service over the years. No recruitment of faculty has taken place for well over a decade. This has adversely affected teaching and research in the universities apart from seriously limiting the chances of retaining the present NAAC grade and attracting funds from various national funding agencies,” he said, adding that the State government had enhanced the retirement age of its employees in March this year.
“Had the State government raised the teachers retirement age, it could have retained at least some of the senior teachers in service and thus paved way for the continuation of the academic traditions and practices and also left enough room for mentoring the new teachers when they are recruited,” he said, adding that as many as 20 professors and scientists, some of them with established international recognition, had retired from Telangana universities since March 2021, and many more will follow in the months to come if the retirement age is not enhanced.
“University teachers, who come to just about 800 in all, are the only category of employees drawing salaries from the consolidated fund of the State, are waiting for a favourable decision from the government in enhancing the age of retirement. They naturally feel that they deserve a fairer treatment from the Government, like in the case of all other employees, including non-teaching staff of their own universities!” Dr.Shasthree observed.
He said that many State governments across India had already raised the retirement age of university teachers to 65 in accordance with the UGC guidelines.
“There is also a general feeling among the various stakeholders in the universities as well as the general public that university teachers’ service should be continued, with retrospective effect from March 2021, in the light of the enhancement of the age of superannuation of all the other employees. This will not only do justice to the university teachers but also serve the interests of the universities, including improving their NAAC grade and financially strengthening them,” Dr Sasthree added.
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