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Retirement age of army, air force staff increased

The government tonight notified an across-the-board two-year increase in the retirement age of personnel of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, excepting those belonging to the medical services.

The new arrangement will come into effect from May 30, 1998.

The notification regarding the new retirement age of naval personnel will be issued separately.

The new retirement age of personnel in the medical services will also be notified separately pending a decision whether or not their retirement age should be increased from 60 to 62 years.

While the defence ministry is understood to be agreeable to the increase, the department of personnel and training does not concur. The matter will thus go to the Cabinet and the new retirement age for medical services personnel notified only after that.

The new retirement age for the three service chiefs was notified on Monday.

A notification regarding the retirement age of officers and other ranks of the Indian Navy has also been kept in abeyance pending Cabinet clearance for ending the tenure system for vice admiral and rear admirals.

As of now vice-admirals and rear admirals enjoy a tenure of four years. Naval authorities have requested that the tenure systems at the level of vice-admirals and rear admirals be dispensed with. The defence ministry is also agreeable to the proposal.

But since the tenure for vice-admirals and rear admirals had been approved by the Cabinet, it was only in the fitness of things that it be done away with Cabinet approval.

Thus, the notification regarding the retirement age of naval officers and other ranks is expected to take some time and issued only after the Union Cabinet's decision.

UNI

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