‘One nation one tax’, ‘one nation one election’, why not ‘one nation one retirement age’?

Retirement age?

Our country has replaced its numerous Union and state taxes with the Goods and Services Tax (GST), designed to unify the country into a single market. In other words, we may call, the GST brought ‘one nation one tax‘ regime in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and all state assemblies, under the banner of ‘one nation one election’ citing reasons of massive expenditure; diversion of security and civil staff from primary duties; impact on governance due to the model code of conduct and disruption to normal public life.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch for ‘one nation one election’ has been backed by the opposition parties especially Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav.

However, The Election Commission (EC) has suggested “one year one election” as an alternative to Modi’s pitch for “one nation one election”.

So,’one nation one retirement age’: Why not government employees? Why not now?

The retirement age is different for different states. The retirement age of government employees of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Arunachal pradesh, Maharastra, Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Manipur, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Jharkhand is 58 years.

About the rest of states except Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh- government employees retire at 60, but existing Kerala government employees who have to retire on completion of 56 years, as the increase in the superannuation age 60, is cover only new comers, who joined service from the fiscal 2014-15.

The Central government had already raised the retirement age to 60 years in 1998.

However, Madhya Pradesh government has recently been increased the retirement age to 62 years from 60 for its employees and Chhattisgarh government already increased the retirement age to 62 years from 60 for its employees in 2013.

The World Economic Forum said that retirement age must rise as lifespans increase.

The Forum also said that employees should continue working until 70 in nations such as Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States.

A parliamentary committee of India in 2014 also recommended that retirement age should be increased from 60 years to 65 years, citing the increase in ageing population and their productivity.

While aging populations and longer lifespans have forced to raise retirement ages but the retirement comes India quite early, when government employees are required to hang up their boots.

According to ‘one nation one tax’ and ‘one nation one election’, the central and state governments will require to implement ‘one nation one retirement age’ for central and state government employees.

“So, the central government is seriously thinking of enhancing the retirement age of the its employees to 62 to cover the cost of ageing population and existing employees productivity,” a government official told

“Keeping in mind the national balance if the central government increases retirement age to 62 years, then states should also do the same,” he added.

TST

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