As a Teacher’s Day gift, the Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal to increase the retirement age of teachers from 62 to 65 years.
Though the decision was taken on Monday, its formal announcement will be made only on September 5 when the Government plans to organise State-level celebrations.
The move is expected to benefit at least 3 lakh teachers in schools run by the Delhi Government, municipal corporations and the New Delhi Municipal Council. Raising the bar on the retirement age was a long-standing demand of teachers. They will be re-employed to be able to teach till they turn 65.
The decision comes three months after a delegation of government and public school teachers, led by Nangloi Congress MLA Bijender Singh, met Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Dr. Singh, the former Government School Teachers’ Association president, had said that the Government would shortly raise the retirement age of all teachers working in government and non-government schools, including those runs by the municipal corporations and government recognised schools.
The MLA said since the retirement age of Delhi University teachers is 65, it was not justifiable that the retirement age of school teachers is 62 years.
Previously, Education Minister Kiran Walia had said raising the retirement age was a long-standing demand of teachers.
The approval comes months before the Assembly elections in which teachers form a sizeable number of voters.
