The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to consider a representation from the Tamil Nadu Federation of Universities Faculty Association (TNFUFA) to increase the retirement age for university faculty members from 60 years to 65 years.

“The respondent is directed to consider and pass orders on the petitioner’s representation dated 28.11.2025 on merits and in accordance with the law within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order,” Justice P.T. Asha wrote in the order.

The TNFUFA’s representation to the government was in the wake of several State-run universities struggling with acute shortage of faculty and in some cases, falling short of the minimum number of faculty members mandated by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Additionally, the recruitment efforts by the Higher Education Department did not keep pace with superannuation of the teachers.

The Federation had written to the government to increase the retirement age of university teachers on November 28, 2025, arguing that further reduction in faculty numbers would adversely affect the quality of teaching, research, and academic standards in the State. When it did not receive a reply from the government, it approached the court.

In its affidavit before the Court, the Federation submitted that the sanctioned strength of faculty in the 21 State-run universities is 9,201, but only 5,402 faculty members were currently on the rolls, leaving 3,799 teaching posts vacant. In the University of Madras, for example, the total sanctioned strength of faculty is 515 but only 180 positions are filled. What is worse, at least 40 faculty members are due for retirement in the next three years or so.

‘No efforts by Higher Education Dept.’

In the past 10 years, there have been no efforts by the Higher Education Department to fill up the vacancies. Moreover, the heads of departments in many of these universities are due to retire in the next couple of years. Once that happens, the departments will face a deadlock due to the lack of teachers in the rank of professors to take over the position, the Federation had submitted.

Citing precedence, the Federation pointed out that several States, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, Assam, and Jammu and Kashmir, had implemented the retirement rule of 65 years.