Govt raises retirement age of medical college teachers

HOWEVER, they also stress on steps to attract young talent

LUCKNOW: The state cabinet on Wednesday raised the retirement age of faculty members of government medical colleges from 60 to 65 years. It has also decided to do away with the provision of maximum age limit for selection of medical education teachers by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav presided over a meeting of the cabinet that also approved the state budget for 2015-2016 and decided to upgrade the Uttar Pradesh Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Saifai, Etawah, as Uttar Pradesh Medical Science University.

The state cabinet raised the retirement age of medical education teachers to 65 years in view of their shortage (as per Medical Council of India norms) in government medical colleges. The retirement age of teachers was 60 in government medical colleges while it was 65 years at other institutes such as the King George’s Medical University, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, and Uttar Pradesh Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Saifai (Etawah).

The state cabinet also approved the Uttar Pradesh Medical Science University, Saifai, Etawah Bill-2015 to grant Uttar Pradesh Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research the status of a university.

The chief minister will be the ex-officio chancellor of the university and all the assets and personnel of the institute will be transferred to the new university. The university will have the power to recognise/affiliate government/private medical, dental, paramedical, nursing and pharmacy colleges.

The cabinet also decided to provide land for setting up of a textile park in Farrukhabad. Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Cor poration (UPSIDC) would take the land from social welfare department at the market rate or the prescribed circle rate and provide it to the special purpose vehicle -M/s Farrukhabad Textiles Park, Farrukhabad.

LUCKNOW: The cabinet decision to raise the retirement age for teachers at the state-run medical colleges from 60 to 65 years has been welcomed by the medical fraternity.

However, some believed that the decision would hamper young blood entering the field.

Doctors said there was no dearth of talent but poor salaries was the key reason why medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh were facing the shortage of teachers. The state government has decided to raise the retirement age to fill this gap.

“This will fill the gap temporarily without any update in knowledge level of the retiring faculty. Since medical science is developing with each passing day, we also need young people along with the experienced ones,” said a senior faculty member of medical university.

The retirement age at KGMU, Dr RML Institute of Medical Sciences and UP Rural Institute of Medical Sciences, Safai, is already 65 and the benefit will be extended to six other medical colleges in the state.

Doctors said shortage of faculty could be filled with better pay and perks. “Qualified doctors from different places join PGI and Dr RML Institute of Medical Sciences as salaries are better there. They will join other medical colleges too if salaries are good,” said the doctors. They said since salaries in other states were better, doctors moved to greener pastures even after completing MBBS and postgraduation in Uttar Pradesh.