The Hindu : National : Retirement age of CHS teachers raised to 65

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Retirement age of CHS teachers raised to 65

Special Correspondent

Fulbright exchange programme to be expanded

CCEA approves project to deepen channel, basin at Tuticorin port
Go-ahead for east-west metro corridor in Kolkata

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet’s Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday gave its approval for raising the retirement age for teaching specialists of the Central Health Service (CHS) from 62 to 65.

This would be applicable only to those engaged in teaching. CHS officers in administrative positions would, however, have the option of seeking appointment in teaching positions if they wanted to continue up to 65.

The CCEA gave its nod for a revised draft agreement with the U.S. for financing education exchange programmes. Under the revised pact, India will make a financial contribution for the Fulbright exchange programme. The programme will be expanded to double the number of scholars exchanged, with India and the U.S. having an equal say in policy and decision making.

The scholarship will be renamed the Fulbright-Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships and Grants.

Initially, about 240 students each from India the U.S. will be sponsored under the programme. It is intended to make the programme complement and supplement bilateral initiatives in agriculture, clean energy, climate change, science and technology and global issues of common concern.

The Cabinet approved implementation of an east-west metro corridor in Kolkata — from the Howrah station to Salt Lake sector V — at a cost of Rs. 4,676 crore. The project will be executed in six and a half years through a joint venture company to be formed by the Central and State governments, each bearing 50 per cent of the cost.

A Rs. 538-crore project to deepen the channel and basin at the Tuticorin port in Tamil Nadu was also approved. It will enable the port to handle bigger vessels and thereby meet growing traffic more effectively. Cabinet spokesperson Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the project envisaged deepening of the channel up to 14.7 metres below chart datum, to a width of 230 metres and to a length of 3.4 km from the port entrance and the harbour basin area including the turning circle to a depth of up to 14.1 metres below chart datum. This would enable the port to handle vessels with a draught of up to 12.8 metres.

The Cabinet cleared a Rs. 399-crore plan for reconstruction of infrastructure damaged due to natural calamities in Arunachal Pradesh during 2005 and approved the signing of a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement with Myanmar.

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