Relief for 4 lakh lecturers across country
The Cabinet on Thursday cleared a proposal giving free hand to state governments to fix the retirement age of teachers in institutes for higher education run by them. This decision has also paved the way for release of arrears due to teachers of state government-funded colleges and universities following implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission. The move will come as a big relief to around four lakh lecturers across the country.
Earlier, the Centre was insisting that states should enhance the lecturers' retirement to 65 years to enable them to get 80% of the arrears burden of state governments. The arrears have risen to around Rs 9,000 crore after the Centre had asked states in 2008 to follow the Sixth Pay Commission scales, which centrally-funded institutes introduced the same year, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2006. Now, the Centre will pay this sum to states only in the form of reimbursements in two-three installments.