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RU professors to retire at 62 years of age

Special Correspondent

Court order sends university administration into a tizzy

JAIPUR: A Rajasthan High Court order allowing 10 professors of Rajasthan University to continue in service till they attain the age of 62 has got the university administration into a tizzy. Despite a University Grants Commission (UGC) directive back in 1998 that the retirement age of university teachers should be enhanced to 62 years in all the States, Rajasthan along with most other States is continuing with the retirement age of 60 years.

The High Court order, on August 2, came in the wake of a petition from 10 professors, some of whom were on the verge of retirement and others running 59, filed on June 27, seeking compliance of the UGC directive, which they pointed out had been adopted by the Rajasthan University Syndicate in as many as four resolutions in the past. The petitioners had made the University of Rajasthan, the UGC and the Rajasthan Government the respondents.

In fact the order from Justice R.C. Gandhi came in the absence of a reply from the State Government even after the Court giving it three chances to reply. "Respondents were granted opportunities to file reply. The University has filed reply whereas the State is playing delay tactics by seeking adjournment, though it was made clear on July 7 while granting the last opportunity to file reply that if the reply is not filed, the interim direction as prayed for shall be granted. Thereafter two more opportunities have been granted but reply has not been filed," the Court noted.

Granting the prayer, the Court said: "For the aforesaid reasons, the respondent-University is directed to continue the petitioners in service till they attain the age of 62 years. The respondents are at liberty to move for modification of the order after filing the counter affidavit".

"The State Government had been always against the idea of enhancement of the retirement age of the university teachers. Every time the Syndicate passed a resolution in support of the UGC directive, the reply used to a precise one-liner: Not possible because of the severe unemployment problem," S.S. Nathawat, former HoD of Psychology at the university, said. Prof. Nathawat, who was scheduled to retire on July 31, was one of the petitioners. After the court order he reported for duty on August 4, though the university, according to him, is yet to acknowledge his presence.

"Let the legal experts give their opinion. I have sought the opinion of the Advocate-General of Rajasthan," observed Vice-Chancellor N.K. Jain when contacted by The Hindu . He conceded that the University had informed the Court about the Syndicate recommendations favouring enhancement of retirement age, made in the past. However, he expressed doubts about the claims of some of the petitioners about their age.

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