SC issues notice to Centre in response to plea seeking to extend retirement age of IAF Group Captains

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and others on a plea seeking that the retirement age of the Group Captains (Flying Pilots and Navigators) serving in the Air Force should be increased from 54 years to 57 years. A bench of justices MR Shah and Justice BV Nagarathna issued notice to the Centre and others. The court was hearing a plea filed by a Group Captain.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Nishant Ramakantrao Katneshwarkar, sought directions to the Centre to issue a notification thereby extending the age of superannuation of the Group Captains (Select & Time Scale) of (Flying Pilots and Navigators) Branch from 54 years to 57 years at par with Group Captains (Select & Time Scale) of the Ground Duty Branch of the Indian Air Force.

The petitioner submitted in view of the judgment and order dated September 24, 2014, passed by this Court confirming the judgment and order dated May 02, 2013, passed by the Armed Forces Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi in Transfer Application, `a proposal is pending with the Centre for merely issuing a notification to extend the age of superannuation of the Group Captains (Select and Time Scale) of (Flying Pilots and Navigators) Branch from 54 years to 57 years at par with Group Captains (Select and Time Scale) of the Ground Duty Branch of the Indian Air Force.

READ | Government fights back against rising cybercrimes in India with multiple initiatives

The petitioner further submitted that the recommendation made by the Air Headquarters is pending before the Ministry of Defence and the AFT directed the Ministry of Defence to consider and take a decision on the matter, after proper application of mind to the recommendation made by the Air Headquarters in this regard and the AFT directed to take an appropriate decision within a period of four months (vide order dated April 11, 2017), no further decision has been taken till date by the Ministry of Defence and the resultant effect is that every month 5 to 6 Group Captains (Time-Scale) F(P) are retiring and/or superannuating at the age of 54 years solely because of the inaction on the part of the Ministry of Defence.

READ | ‘People coming up with diarrhoea’: Delhi doctor reveals symptom seen in current Covid wave