India Upgrades. Gujarat Waits. Staff Demand Retirement Age Reset

The letter was sent by the Gujarat State Employees Coordination Committee, a collective that includes several unions representing around five lakh employees across departments, boards-corporations, and district administrative systems of the state government.

In it, they have highlighted how central government officers like the IAS, IPS, IFS, and IRS retire at 60. The letter also points out that many state governments have already aligned with this norm.

In fact, states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh have gone a step further by extending the retirement age for healthcare service employees to 62. Given the shortage of staff, rising retirements, and delays in recruitment, the committee argues that raising the age limit in Gujarat is not just justified, but necessary.

According to committee convener Sanjay Patel and president Vishnu Patel, “Ever since the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission in Gujarat, they have consistently demanded the retirement age be raised to 60 years, as provided under its recommendations.”

The committee leaders stressed that other states have acted years ago, while Gujarat continues to delay. According to them, the government assures during agitations, but never follows through. They added that nine major concerns affecting state employees remain unresolved, despite repeated appeals.

Top-Level Resolution Likely for Issues

According to a senior official from the Gujarat General Administration Department, “The government has attempted to address the demands raised by various employee boards and unions across the state. However, since the retirement age is a policy matter, it is currently under consideration at a higher level. The remaining issues will be presented before a high-level committee of cabinet ministers after coordination with respective departments."

Key Demands Presented In The Memorandum:

➢ Raise the retirement age from 58 to 60 years.
➢ Scrap the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and reinstate the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) based on GPF.
➢ Abolish the fixed-pay system entirely.
➢ Reinstate jobs under original terms instead of relying on temporary or ad-hoc appointments.
➢ Grant higher pay grades after 10, 20, and 30 years of service from the original effective date, without salary caps.
➢ End the practice of post-retirement reappointments, and ensure regular recruitment.
➢ Provide subsidised residential plots in employees’ hometowns for district-level employees.
➢ Extend full government employee benefits to those working in panchayats, boards/corporations, and municipal bodies.
➢ Abolish the outsourcing of Class-4 positions, and fill such posts through regular recruitment.

State-wise Retirement Age Policies At A Glance:

The retirement age for government employees in India varies across states and departments, with some maintaining the standard limit of 60 years, while others extending it to 62 or even higher. States with a 60-year retirement age for government employees include Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

Meanwhile, states that are reviewing or in the process of updating their retirement age policies, include MP, UP and AP, which has raised the age from 60 to 62 years, as well as Maharashtra, which is considering a hike in retirement age, and Kerala, where retirement age varies by department, with several departments considering increases.