Teacher associations from Maharashtra have once again urged the University Grants Commission (UGC) to increase the retirement age of degree college teachers from 60 to 65 years. On October 25, the Maharashtra Union of Secular Teachers (MUST) submitted a letter to the UGC, requesting that the retirement age be made uniform across the state.
According to UGC norms, the age of superannuation for college teachers on the UGC pay scale is 65. However, Maharashtra continues to retire its college teachers at 60, unlike several other states.
The teachers’ group argued that the five-year extension would help maintain continuity, address recruitment gaps, and reduce dependence on faculty hired on a Clock Hour Basis (CHB). With the National Education Policy (NEP) currently being implemented, the group also highlighted the need for experienced senior teachers to mentor younger staff.
States such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are already in discussions to adopt the UGC-recommended retirement age of 65 for degree college teachers.
Emphasising the need for consistency, Prof Dr Vijay N Pawar, founder-president of MUST and Senate Member at Mumbai University, said, “There must be uniformity in higher education across India, which includes parity in service conditions of professors. These conditions include the age of retirement. If the UGC prescribes 65 years, it should be followed nationwide.”
The group had earlier written to the Maharashtra government with the same demand in 2022 but received no response. “Given the gaps in recruitment, there’s very little connection between the older and newer generations of teachers,” Dr Pawar told mid-day. “With the NEP rollout, experienced teachers must stay on longer to guide the system.”
