No Change in Central Govt Retirement Age, Confirms Centre

Government Clarifies No Plans to Abolish Vacancies Post-Retirement; States Maintain Autonomy on Age Criteria

In a clear and concise statement to the Lok Sabha on March 19, 2025, the Government of India has confirmed that there is no proposal under consideration to change the retirement age of Central Government employees. The clarification came in response to an unstarred question (No. 2999) raised by Dr. Ganapathy Rajkumar P and Prof. Sougata Ray.

No Change in Retirement Age, No Policy to Abolish Vacant Posts

Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, who also serves in the Prime Minister’s Office, responded to the query on behalf of the government. He categorically stated:

“No proposal to change the retirement age of Government employees is under consideration of the Government. The Government has no policy to abolish the vacancy created from retirement of employees.”

This statement puts to rest recurring speculation in the media and among employees about potential plans to lower or revise the retirement age, especially in light of increasing youth unemployment and fiscal tightening narratives.

States Have Their Own Say on Retirement Age

When asked about the existing retirement age for both Central and State Government employees, the minister informed the House that:

“No such data is centrally maintained in the Government as the subject matter falls in the State List.”

This means each State Government has the autonomy to fix the retirement age of its employees, which explains the lack of uniformity across different states. For instance, while most states follow the 60-year benchmark for retirement, some states have made exceptions, raising the age limit for select categories of employees such as doctors or university professors.

No Formal Demand from Employee Unions

On the question of whether any Government employees’ union or organization has formally demanded changes in the retirement age, the Minister responded:

“No formal proposal has been received from staff side of National Council (Joint Consultative Machinery).”

This indicates that no official communication has been made at the central level regarding either raising or lowering the retirement age through recognized employee bodies.

Key Takeaways

Retirement age remains unchanged for Central Government employees.
No vacancies are being abolished upon employee retirement, contrary to some assumptions.
States decide their own retirement age due to constitutional distribution of powers.
No formal union proposal has been submitted seeking retirement age revision.

The government’s response comes at a time when multiple rumors and speculative reports have emerged about the possibility of lowering the retirement age to 58 or introducing new retirement models to accommodate younger workforces. With this official reply, the Centre has provided much-needed clarity, reinforcing the status quo on retirement policy for government employees.

See PQ pdf: