" IRS OFFICERS PROMOTED FROM THE GRADE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF CENTRAL EXCISE ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF AIACEGEO. THIS IS THE ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERINTENDENTS OF CENTRAL EXCISE AND IRS OFFICERS PROMOTED FROM THE GRADE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF CENTRAL EXCISE THROUGH OUT THE COUNTRY . President Mr.T.Dass and SG Mr. Harpal Singh.

Thursday, 30 July 2015

Central government should not accept revision of Retirement Age below 60 years if 7th CPC recommends it

Retirement Age of Central government Employees again becomes the hottest topic among central government servants. Because some sources told that pay commission likely to recommend the retirement age of central government employees , on completion of  33 years of service or at the age of 60 years whichever is earlier. There are comments pouring in favour of and against this proposal though it is not confirmed yet . As per the likely recommendation of 7th CPC, if a person joined the service at the age between 20-25 years, he will retire between 53-58 years. Is it the age for retirement? Definitely not!! Many young people here are commenting that early retirement at 53-59 years of age will create jobs for them. It is not a creation of jobs, but it is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. With the increase in life expectancy, the retirement age all over the world is increasing, including India where the retirement age of Govt. employees has been increased twice – from 55 to 58 years and from 58 to 60 years. India aspires to be a developed country but no developed country in the world has the retirement below 60 years of age for its Govt. employees. On the contrary, the tendency all over the world is to increase the retirement age with increase in life expectancy and between 2004-14, the life expectancy in India has increased by 5 years. Therefore, reducing the retirement age is not justified if we go by the trend around the world. It is interesting to note that only three countries in the world – Turkey, Indonesia and Nepal – have retirement age at 58 years and below, while most of other countries have retirement for their Govt. employees at 60 years or more. Don’t young people in these countries need employment? Does their Govt. reduce the retirement age of present Govt. employees to eliminate the problem of unemployment? The answer is, no. Take the example of Spain where one out of 4 youth is unemployed i.e. 25% unemployment, but Spain has not reduced retirement age of its Govt. employees to give the impression of creating jobs and their retirement age remains at 65 years. India definitely does not face such a bad situation like Spain where unemployment is 25%. Then why such a drastic step to give the impression of creating jobs by rendering its already employed employees unemployed? If retirement age is indeed reduced by the govt. to 53-59 years, India will have the dubiois distinction of being the only country in the world to retire its Govt. employees even at 53 years of age surpassing Nepal and Indonesia and behind only Turkey.Our Prime Minister has been working very hard and has been successful in projecting the image of India in the world as the soon-to-be-a-developed country , but this image will suffer a setback if, by reducing the retirement age to as low as 53 years, India is made to be next only to Turkey where the retirement age is 45 years, the lowest in the world. Even in Pakistan the retirement age of Govt. servants was increased from 60 to 62 years, while life expectancy there is lower (67.39 years) than in India (68.13 years). Pakistan increased the retirement age despite having a higher unemployment rate (5.37) than India (3.72).It is hoped that it is only a rumour, but if 7th CPC indeed recommends the criteria for retirement as 33/60, it is expected it will back such a recommendation with a rationale behind it. Merely the reason for creation of jobs behind this recommendation will not be fair as no other country does so .