Few can deny the administrative competence and ability of Cabinet Secretary Chandrasekhar and that's why his getting another extension has not created any controversy. Pulok Chatterjee is rated very high when it comes to administrative and managerial skills coupled with his exposure to various sectors that makehimeligible for the top post.Taking cue fromtheChandrasekhar example the Government should seriously consider raising the superannuation age of Secretary- level officers to 62 years or introducing a systemof fixed tenure of two years to bring about stability in governance as it has done for the posts of Cabinet Secretary, Defence and Home Secretaries and CBI Director.
In March 2008, when the Sixth Pay Commission, chaired by Justice BN Srikrishna, came outwithits recommendations, Central Government employees had every reason to smile.With a 28 percent hike in their salary slabs, fat pay packages and a quantumjump in the volume of other benefits, the employees widelywelcomed the recommendations. However, the Commission took a very stern view on increasing the age of retirement. It categorically stated, "The Commission recommends that the current age of superannuation should be maintained. Further, except in the case of Scientists andMedical Specialists, no extensions should be given in any other case. Tenure based posts should be filled by incumbents who have sufficient period of service left before the stipulated age of retirement. Medical Specialists and Scientists may, however, be allowed extension of service of up to 2 years on a case to case basis."
It may be noted here that the age of superannuation was increased from 55 years to 58 in 1962. The Fifth Central Pay Commission recommended an upward revision of this age to 60 years in 1998 with the proviso that there will be a total banonextensionof service except forScientists andMedicalSpecialistswho could be granted extension in service on a caseto- case basis up to the age of 64 years. The reasonwhy theFifthPayCommissionincreased the age slabwas primarily due to increase in the life expectancy of an average Indian. The charter states, "TheCommission has receivedmany demands for increasing the age of superannuation further keeping in view the increased longevity and better health care facilities leading to improved health standards".
Apparently after the recommendations were finally passed, the Government reportedly started reconsidering the retirement age in2009 because itwas a drought year due to the economic downturn. The rumorswere afloat that theGovernment wanted to defer by two years the liability of paying pension to more than 100,000 employees.Maybe paying salaries was a more viable option than paying pensionary benefits. According to some reports, the then Finance Minister had also submitted a report favouring an increase in the retirement age as the Government would save a huge sum of money in the form of retirement payoffs which was very crucial at a time when the country waswitnessing a downward trajectory as far as its economy was concerned. But the rumours passed over as the Prime Minister himself confirmed that there was no such consideration on board.The Department of Personnel and Training reportedly expressed its concernthat the age profile of Indianbureaucrats, instead of becoming younger, will become older, out of tunewith the rest of theworld.
It is not that the Government was reconsidering an age revision proposal on economic parameters. In 1998, the 13- month-oldNationalDemocraticAlliance Governmenthad raised the age slab from 58 to 60. The retirement of 1,40,000 employees would have cost Rs 5,200 crore whereas paying salaries would cost only Rs 1,493 crore.
Is it feasible for the Government to ponder over a retirement age revision again?
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