Chh. Sambhajinagar: 11 Year Old Legal Battle Successful, Retired Professors to Get Pension Hike

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to provide pension benefits to retired professors within four months as per the salary recommended by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for professors in the Sixth Pay Commission. A petition was filed in 2013 by the Association of College and University Superannuated Teachers Association. According to this, thousands of professors who retired between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2005, will get benefits, Association head M. A. Vahul said.

The UGC had recommended the salaries of professors in the Sixth Pay Commission. The state government implemented the Hakim Committee's recommendations without applying it to retired professors. Thus, between 1996 and 2005, retired professors were given only 30 to 35 percent pension as compared to the UGC recommendations. In 2013, a petition was filed in the court by the association of retired professors against the Hakim committee. 

How did justice come about?
In 2016, the court directed the state government to hold talks with the teachers' union. Accordingly, a meeting of the association was held with Sanjay Chahande, the then secretary of the technical education department. The government refused to pay pensions to the professors as per UGC norms. The association again challenged it on the bench. 

On February 2, 2024, Justice A bench of Justices Mangesh Patil and Neeraj Dhote set aside the recommendations of the Hakim Committee and directed it to provide benefits within four months as per the UGC's recommendation. 
This will increase the pension of retired teachers in the state by Rs 10,000-15,000 per month, Wahul said.