As I approach 60, I struggle with a dilemma—should I step aside to let the younger generation bring in new energy and updated knowledge, or should I continue holding on in the name of experience and wisdom? This dilemma became sharper when I heard that Andhra Pradesh agricultural and horticultural universities are planning to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, following ICAR. To me, this feels less like valuing wisdom and more like protecting comfort zones. The real question is not about age but about accountability, renewal, and vision. Are we building institutions for the future, or simply creating safe havens for the old while denying opportunities to the young who carry the latest knowledge and the passion to transform agriculture?
Problems with Increasing Retirement Age
- Retaining Outdated Knowledge: Many senior staff members may not have kept pace with growing problems of rapidly evolving agricultural science, digital technologies, and climate-resilient innovations. Extending their tenure risks slowing down the infusion of fresh ideas and updated knowledge.
- Blocking Opportunities for Youth: By retaining older staff longer, new positions for young, motivated, and globally trained researchers are delayed. This creates frustration among the younger generation and limits the system’s capacity to harness their energy and updated knowledge.
- Financial Burden: Senior faculty and scientists draw the highest salaries and benefits. Prolonging their tenure increases expenditure on salaries and pensions, while limiting resources that could be invested in research, infrastructure, and new recruitment.
- Reduced Accountability: For some, pre-retirement extensions are seen less as an opportunity to contribute and more as a secured continuation of income. Without stringent accountability, this risks complacency and weakens institutional productivity.
Recognizing Genuine Experience and Passion
At the same time, it is equally true that there are many committed, passionate, and highly knowledgeable individuals whose contributions remain invaluable well beyond 60 years of age. For such people, age should not be a barrier. The system should not lose their expertise simply due to rigid retirement rules.
A Better Way Forward
Instead of a blanket increase in retirement age from 60 to 62, the following balanced measures can help retain experience while opening doors for the young:
- Selective Extension through Evaluation: Introduce a performance-based extension system where only those with proven research output, teaching excellence, or ongoing projects of significance are given a fixed-term extension (1–2 years), subject to annual review. This prevents automatic extensions while ensuring the system retains truly valuable expertise.
- Eminent Scientist/Professor Emeritus Positions: Create honorary or contractual positions for retired but active experts. They can guide research, mentor young faculty, and contribute to policy work without blocking new appointments.
- Adjunct and Visiting Faculty Roles: Retired experts can be engaged part-time to teach specialized courses, supervise PhD students, or contribute to project-specific work, keeping them engaged without burdening the salary system.
- Dual Pathway: Space for Youth + Retention of Experience: Recruit young scientists regularly and in adequate numbers. At the same time, design mentorship programmes where retired faculty guide them, ensuring continuity of knowledge with innovation.
- Institutional Ecosystem for Talent Utilization: Encourage retired faculty to explore other emerging opportunities and contribute in think tanks, advisory boards, or farmer-extension programs where their wisdom can make an impact without obstructing younger staff.
Conclusion
Raising the retirement age uniformly is neither financially sustainable nor intellectually progressive. The better path for Andhra Pradesh’s agricultural and horticultural universities is to create flexible, performance-based systems that value passion and expertise while opening doors for the younger generation. This ensures a vibrant ecosystem where knowledge flows across generations, accountability is maintained, and agricultural research and education remain future-ready.
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