Raising retirement age of varsity staff on cards: TRS MP K Keshava Rao

Hyderabad: The secretary-general of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and member of Rajya Sabha, Dr K Keshava Rao, said here on Wednesday that the state government is considering the proposal to increase the retirement age of university teachers from 60 to 62 years.

This would address the problem of universities facing an acute shortage of experienced and senior faculty. Presiding over a seminar on "Role of Osmania University in Telangana and Nation Building", organised by Osmania University on the occasion of centenary celebrations, Keshava Rao said that the UGC also recommending enhancement of retirement age of university teachers.

In fact, several state governments have already raised the retirement age of university and college teachers ranging from 62 to 65 years. The university and college teachers have long been demanding increase in the age of retirement to ensure continuity in the varsity academics.

Several university departments were even losing national grants, fellowships due to non-availability of professors. However, the government wary of backlash from educated unemployed has been dilly-dallying on the proposal.

Sources in the government told The Hans India that the Chief Minister has responded positively to the proposal by the education ministry to this effect.

However, the state government would make a formal announcement only after issuing some more notifications to avoid protest from educated unemployed who are already agitating in the campuses for jobs, sources added.

Dr Keshava Rao, who participated in the centenary seminar in his capacity as the chairman of the reception committee and an eminent alumnus, was responding to a request made by former vice-chancellor, Prof T Tirupati Rao. Prof. Rao in his address expressed concern over declining faculty strength that has a negative impact on teaching and research in the university. He urged Keshava Rao to use his good offices to ensure that the universities tide over the problem of faculty vacancies.

Speaking to The Hans India, Prof. Battu Satyanarayana, Chairman, Telangana State Federation of University Teachers’ Association (TSFUTA), said that Osmania University is facing a grave academic challenge due to dwindling strength of faculty.

The Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE) department of the university had more faculty than NIT Warangal in 1998. But, now, it does not even have a single professor. Similarly, the Geo-Physics department which was started decades ago with Russian collaboration had two dozen teachers. But, now it has only three faculty members without a single professor.