The Government has clarified that the retirement age of employees will remain 60, and that there is no proposal to bring it down to 58.
According to provisions under Fundamental Rules 56(j), Rule 48 of Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 and Rule 16(3) (Amended) of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, the Government does have the right to retire officials prematurely, in case they are found to be inefficient, dishonest or insincere or acting against the interest of the public. This can be done by giving them notice of at least three months in writing or three months’ salary and allowances in lieu of such notice.
These provisions can be applied to government employees more than 55 years old in group ‘A’ or group ‘B’ service or positions in a substantive, quasi-permanent or temporary capacity and had entered service before the age of 35 years.
In any other case, these rules will be applicable to the employees once they attain the age of 55 years, he said.
Rumours had been doing the rounds on social media, that DoPT had finalised proposals for implementation of 33 years of service or 60 years of age, whichever is early, for retirement of all government employees, and that the Finance Ministry was gearing to implement the same with effect from April next year.
Earlier, in September too, the Centre had clarified that these rumours were not true and that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had not cleared any proposal to reduce retirement age.
