College teachers in Chandigarh to retire at 65

Chandigarh, March 21

The Chandigarh Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has allowed the applications filed by teachers of various government colleges of the city, seeking extension of retirement age from 58 years to 65 years.

Many teachers had approached CAT for the extension of the retirement age citing the AICTE Regulations, 2010, and other regulations.

The counsels for the teachers relied upon a judgment passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this regard in May 2021. The HC had ruled that the retirement age of teachers of institutes under the Administration would be 65, with an extension of five years as applicable in Central government institutes.

Referring to the AICTE Act, the High Court had in its judgment observed that it has been passed by the Parliament. On the other hand, the Chandigarh Administration had fixed the retirement age of faculty members of institutes such as the Government College of Art and Government College of Architecture at 58, going by the 1992 Rules.

The Administration had challenged the High Court verdict before the Supreme Court earlier, but it was treated as “dismissed as withdrawn” in December 2021.

Besides teachers in technical institutions, some professors of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, have also moved CAT for extension of the retirement age from 62 to 65 years. They contended that qualifications of medical teachers were regulated according to the Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations-1998.

The decision will benefit many colleges, including the Chandigarh College of Architecture in Sector 12, Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology, Sector 26, Government Polytechnic for Women, Sector 10, and Government College of Art, Sector 10.

In 2020, some faculty members of the Government College of Art and Government College of Architecture had moved CAT, challenging the UT Administration’s rules pertaining to their retirement at the age of 58. When CAT dismissed their applications earlier, they approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which ruled in their favour.

It all started in 2020

• In 2020, some Govt College of Art & Govt College of Architecture teachers move CAT, challenge UT rules pertaining to their retirement age of 58
• Tribunal, however, dismisses their applications
• They the approach Punjab and Haryana High Court, which rules in their favour in May 2021
• The Administration then moved Supreme Court, challenging Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict
• In December 2021, the apex court treated the Administration’s petition as “dismissed as withdrawn”
• Later, teachers approached CAT again for implementation of HC order