The minister discusses increasing the retirement age of professors in the government. medical faculty

Health, Medical and Family Welfare Minister Satya Kumar Yadav

With many vacant professorships in government medical colleges in the state, Health, Welfare and Family Welfare Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said that consideration should be given to increasing their retirement age. Currently, the retirement age for professors in the state is 63.

Attending a review meeting at the Secretariat on Thursday, July 9, the minister noted with concern that out of 800 approved posts of professors in 17 government medical colleges across the state, around 200 remain vacant, impacting the quality of medical education. In 16 superspecialist departments, 106 out of 159 professorships are vacant.

According to the department’s press release, the National Medical Commission (NMC) appoints one professor for every three postgraduate chairs. In private universities, the retirement age is 70 years and therefore they do not have the same problem, the minister noted.

While the posts of professors are filled through promotion, according to the report, vacancies arise due to “ineligible candidates” for promotion. Stating that quality medical education is essential, the Minister directed Director of Medical Education A. Vishnu Vardhan to look into the matter and prepare a report recommending an increase in the existing retirement age for professors.

Breach in Pvt. universities

During the meeting, the minister also took up the cases of several violations found in private colleges and asked the officials to investigate the issues and ensure compliance of NMC norms. He asked the authorities of the University of Health Sciences Dr. NTR to conduct unannounced inspections, identify deficiencies and ensure corrective actions are taken.

Use of the fund

On the utilization of funds allocated for health in the 2026-27 budget, officials informed him that out of ₹ 18,216 crore, ₹ 4,130 crore (22.72%) was spent during the first quarter (April-June).

He expressed satisfaction with the utilization of funds and said that there is a need for better utilization of central assistance.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar, Director of Medical Education Dr. Vishnu Vardhan, Director of Secondary Health KVN Chakradhar Babu, Director of Public Health Dr. Padmavathi and others.

Published – 9 Jul 2026 21:47 IST