Patna : The Patna high court on Aug 20 directed the state government to follow the recent regulation framed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for enhancing the retirement age of university teachers from 62 years to 65 years with effect from June 30, 2010.

A single bench presided by Justice Navneeti Prasad Singh held the teachers who retired on or after June 30, 2010 would get the benefit of the enhancement of retirement age.

The verdict came on the writ petitions of college teachers DC Baluni, RP Vidyarthi and AK Thakur. Petitioners' counsel Abhinav Srivastava pleaded that the UGC regulation was formalised on June 30 and, as such, June 30 should be the cutoff date for increasing retirement age.

The court also held valid the petitioners' plea that under Section 67A of the Bihar State Universities Act, UGC regulations, deemed to be UGC's decisions, are applicable in entire country, including Bihar.

Earlier, a single bench presided by Justice Mridula Mishra had directed that the retirement age of university teachers be increased to 65 years on the basis of UGC recommendations.

The state government challenged the judgment of Justice Mishra in an LPA on the ground that merely a recommendation of UGC was not enough. After hearing the state plea, a division bench presided by then CJ Dipak Mishra had held that a clear mandate for increasing the retirement age of university teachers was possible only when the UGC framed a regulation for the purpose.