Retirement Age – Through the Ages
UNTIL 31-3-1938, the normal age of retirement of Central Government Employees was 55 years. Employees could, however, be retained in service up to 60 years depending on their being physically fit and mentally alert.
The First Central Pay Commission set up by the Central Government in 1946 recommended 58 years for superannuation of Central Government employees. But this recommendation was not accepted by the Government on the grounds, that the majority of persons retiring at the age of 55 were not capable of rendering efficient service; that their replacement at the age of 55 by younger men would serve the interest of efficiency better and that a retirement age should be fixed which would release men at the age when they would still be fit to render service to the country in other spheres of their choice.
In 1953, the question was reconsidered, but the earlier decision to retain the age of retirement at 55 was reaffirmed.
In 1958, the question of retirement age was again considered in view of the continuing shortage of trained manpower. The Government did not extend the age of superannuation, but laid down the criteria for grant of extension and re-employment of technical and scientific personnel. It was decided that re-employment or extension might be granted up to two years at a time.
The Government decided to raise age of retirement from 55 to 58 years with effect from 1st December 1962.
The Third and Fourth Central Pay Commissions received many representations for upward revision of age of retirement to 60 years. But it did not favour the revision on the ground, that it would reduce the employment opportunities for fresh graduates and technical persons in Government service.
Pursuant to the recommendations made by the 5 th CPC, the Central Government by order dated 13th May 1998, raised the age of retirement of Central Government employees from 58 to 60.
The Government of West Bengal, Pondicherry, Meghalaya, Mizoram and National Capital Territory of Delhi, have raised the retirement age of their civil servants to 60 years. The remaining States, however, have not raised the age of retirement of their employees and it remains at 58. Kerala Government consistently stood the ground by retaining the retirement age at 55 years for their employees.
Regarding the age of retirement of High Court and Supreme Court Judges, Dr. Ambedkar explained in the Constituent Assembly,
“It is essential that a difference of 3 to 5 years should be maintained between the retirement age of High Court Judges and that of Supreme Court Judges; The honour and prestige associated with a seat on the Supreme Court Bench have their limits as an attraction and it is the prospect of continuing in service for a period of five more years that chiefly attracts him to the new office. As this attraction would disappear if the age of superannuation for High Court judges also is raised to 65, judges for the Supreme Court will have to be selected from among junior and comparatively inexperienced judges of the High Court, and a Court thus manned would hardly command the respect and confidence which the Supreme Court in the land ought to inspire. On a careful balancing of these considerations, we have come to the unanimous conclusion that - (i) it is essential that a difference of 3 to 5 years should be maintained between the retiring age of High Court Judges and that of Supreme Court Judges; (ii) age limit for retirement should be raised to 65 for High Court Judges and to 68 years for Supreme Court Judges;"