Chandigarh: PUTA urges Dhankhar to raise superannuation age to 65

PUTA president AS Naura and general secretary Mritunjay Kumar presented the demand, highlighting the disparity between PU teachers and their counterparts in UT-run colleges, where the superannuation age is already 65

The Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) on Monday pressed for raising the superannuation age of PU teachers from 60 to 65 years during a meeting with Vice-President of India and PU chancellor Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Mohali. (HT Photo)

PUTA president AS Naura and general secretary Mritunjay Kumar presented the demand, highlighting the disparity between PU teachers and their counterparts in UT-run colleges, where the superannuation age is already 65. They also pointed out that despite PU Senate’s approval, the superannuation age for PU teachers remains unchanged.

Naura said, “We were supposed to meet Dhankhar during his visit to PU for the global alumni meet in December but couldn’t. He has now assured us that he will get this issue sorted.”

The superannuation age issue has been under litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. While the UT administration adopted Central Service Rules in 2022, raising the superannuation age to 65 years for teachers of government colleges and Punjab Engineering College (PEC), PU teachers remain governed by the PU calendar, which sets the superannuation age at 60. The PU Senate had approved raising the age in 2011, but the Centre advised reconsideration in consultation with the Punjab government.

During the meeting, PUTA also raised the issue of pending arrears under the Seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC), which have been due since 2016. Naura stated that the Union ministry of education has approved a one-time grant of ₹175.5 crore to partly address the ₹278 crore arrears reported in a recent university audit. The ministry has assured that the arrears will be released before the end of the financial year.

PUCSC president meets Dhankhar

Meanwhile, Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) president Anurag Dalal also met Vice-President Dhankhar at IISER. Dalal, who recently attended a session of Parliament on Dhankhar’s invitation, said, “This was my third meeting with the Vice-President. We visited IISER to welcome him, and we plan to raise PU student issues with him by the end of the month.”