Bharathiar University raises to 65 retirement age of self-financing college principals

Will take up the Syndicate resolution with the Department of Higher Education

Bharathiar University has resolved that the retirement age of principals in self-financing colleges shall be 65 years.

The resolution at a recent Syndicate meeting was made despite Secretary of Higher Education Sunil Paliwal asking the university in a letter on May 24 to stick to Government Order 325 of August 18, 2003, to maintain the retirement age at 62.

The Syndicate resolution of May 18 said it had considered the Secretary's letter regarding the age limit of principals in the self-financing colleges of Bharathiar University. And, it added that it had “Resolved to keep the Government Order in abeyance and write a letter to the Higher Education Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, to raise the age limit to 65 years.”

The university decision to keep the GO in abeyance and urge the State Government to raise the age limit comes after the Madras High Court twice upheld the order and ruled in favour of maintaining the retirement age at 62, academics say.

Pointing to other State-run universities sticking to 62 as the retirement age, the academics want Bharathiar University also to follow the rule.

Consequent to the resolution, the association of principals of self-financing colleges in Bharathiar University, which held its meeting on May 29, did not discuss the issue, sources say.

The sources added that the association did, however, discuss appointment of retired faculty and principals of government colleges as principals in self-financing colleges but did not take a decision.

It also urged the university not to approve any decision to appoint principals and faculty of engineering and stand-alone management institutions as principals of self-financing colleges.