Young scientists and researchers across Andhra Pradesh have urged the state government not to raise the retirement age in agricultural and allied universities, saying such a move would further delay recruitment and deprive qualified youth of job opportunities.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, they said that appointments in agricultural and allied universities remained suspended for almost a decade. Previously, the retirement age in these institutions was 60 years, later it was increased to 62 years. Now, some individuals are reportedly pushing through various organizations to further increase the retirement age to 65, they said.
The researchers pointed out that due to the absence of regular recruitment in the last few years, many universities are operating with temporary staff. As a result, students who have completed higher education and specialized training in agricultural sciences face unemployment and growing frustration.
They appealed to the state government and senior officials in the agriculture sector to focus on creating opportunities for young professionals trained in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, mechanization and deep technologies that are transforming modern agriculture globally.
The young scholars also noted that no other state in the country has set the retirement age at 65 in such institutions and questioned the necessity of introducing it in Andhra Pradesh. Instead of increasing the retirement age, the government should immediately issue a notification for fresh recruitment for vacancies in agricultural and allied universities, they demanded.
The program was attended by several young scientists from various regions of the state, including Dr. Balakrishna, Dr. Kirana, Dr. Rajesh, Dr. Avinash, Dr. Pradeep and Dr. Ramadevi. They urged the government to stop the proposed move and start recruitment to ensure opportunities for skilled youth.
Published – 15 March 2026 20:50 IST
