Army officer may retire late

DAINIK NATION BUREAU

If things move in right direction then Army officer would retire late in coming years. As the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has directed the union government and the Army to increase the retirement age of Army officers by two years. With this increase you bring them at par with similarly placed officers in the Navy.

Disposing of a bunch of 70 petitions by officers from various arms and services, the tribunal Bench comprising Justice VK Shali and Lt Gen SK Singh asked the Army to review its earlier order fixing the retirement age of Colonel at 54 years.

“We sought that the retirement age of Col to be increased by three years i.e. 57 years,” said Jyoti Singh, a counsel of the petitioners.

However the Army had been adamant on keeping the retirement age for Colonel at 54. The retirement age for Colonel in arms and services, barring minor corps, is 54 years. Officers holding the rank of Commodore/Captain in the Navy retire at 56, while those in the Navy’s education branch retire at 57 years.

Similarly in Indian Air Force (IAF), the retirement age for Group Captain (select) is 54 years in the flying branch and 57 years in some other branches.