Govt thinking of raising retirement age of teachers

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 12

Faced with the uphill task of finding faculty to make the three new medical colleges functional, the state government is toying with the idea of enhancing the retirement age of teachers in medical colleges from the present 62 to 65 years.

The move, however, is being met with stiff opposition from the doctors associations of the two existing medical colleges.

Sensing the challenge of getting faculty for its three new government medical colleges proposed for Chamba, Hamirpur and Nahan, the government might have no other option but to enhance the retirement age of the faculty from 62 to 65 years.

However, the doctors association at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Shimla and Tanda Medical College in Kangra are vehemently opposed to the move as it would lead to stagnation and denial of opportunities for those awaiting promotion on the retirement of the head of the department.

As the Department of Medical Education is deliberating upon the issue, various options are being explored. There is also a probability that retirement age would be enhanced only for the three new upcoming medical colleges so that the faculty that retires from the IGMC and Tanda at 62 would join there as they would get three more years. This will also not annoy the doctors associations at Shimla and Tanda medical colleges.

The government has already sought applications from the faculty at the two medical colleges who would be keen to serve at the three new medical colleges which could start functioning from the next academic session. However, the response so far has not been very encouraging. The likelihood of the ESI Medical College at Ner Chowk in Mandi also being handed over to the Himachal Government is high.

“We are very clear that the enhancement of age will not apply to senior faculty who are holding administrative posts like Principal, Dean, Medical Superintendent or Director Medical Education or other posts as the idea is to grant working years to the teaching faculty and not administrators,” admitted a senior functionary. He added that so far no final decision has been taken and the matter will finally be placed before the Cabinet.

The government will require a minimum of 25 specialists per medical college to meet the MCI guidelines. The fact that two of the medical colleges at Chamba and Hamirpur are located in slightly interior parts, the government is already apprehending the problem of arranging faculty.

The government is aware that in case the retirement age is not enhanced, the teachers retiring from the IGMC and Tanda will join private medical colleges who offer handsome salaries and perks. At present there are 91 sanctioned posts of Professor —— the IGMC (56) and Tanda (35) —— out of which 15 are lying vacant.