STUDENT UNIONS OPPOSE INCREASE IN RETIREMENT AGE OF GOVT EMPLOYEES

Youth and student organisations have threatened to launch agitation against the decision to extend the age of retirement of government employees to 60, as recommended by the Pay Revision Commission.

Among the unions preparing a plan of action are Student Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students Federation (AISF).

Students are waiting for notifications for government posts, which is being delayed by the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC), including issue of Group 1 and 2 notifications.

SFI state general secretary Thalla Nagaraju said that the TSPSC has issued nominal notifications in the last six and a half years. Most pertained to posts in the engineering department. He also said that 30 lakh unemployed youth have registered for jobs in the state. Of these, 16.9 per cent are graduates, separately 15.6 per cent are men and 27.5 per cent women who have completed secondary and higher education. This figure shows that unemployment has risen by 37.5 per cent.

According to senior PSC officials, unemployment rate had increased by

25.7 per cent in 2017-18 and 31.5 per cent in 2018-19.

With 4,91,304 government sanctioned posts in the state, and currently only

3,00,178 are filled.

AISF state general secretary R. Shiva Ramakrishna said that the government is playing with the lives of unemployed persons by not filling the 1,91,126 vacancies even though every year reports one lakh fresh graduates.

The student leaders warned that if the government does not reverse the decision to enhance retirement age, they would launch state-wide agitations.

● STUDENTS ARE waiting for notifications for government posts, which is being delayed by the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC), including issue of Group 1 and 2 notifications.

● ACCORDING TO senior PSC officials, unemployment rate had increased by 25.7 per cent in

2017-18 and 31.5 per cent in

2018-19.