NEW DELHI: At a time when govt is attempting to shed the country’s colonial vestiges, Supreme Court on Friday asked it to set up an expert panel for revisiting British-era prescribed retirement age and service conditions of armed forces personnel, including Coast Guards.A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justice Joymalya Bagchi passed this order on an appeal filed by govt challenging a Delhi HC order quashing Rule 20(1) and Rule 20(2) of Coast Guard (General) Rules, 1986, which provided that officers of rank of commandant and below would retire at the age of 57 years, while those above commandant would retired on attaining 60 years.Appearing for govt, additional solicitor general Archana Pathak Dave said the HC erred in comparing Coast Guards, which comes under ministry of defence, with central armed police forces like ITBP, CRPF, CISF, and Shashatra Seema Bal. Working of Coast Guard personnel is completely different from the CAPFs personnel and that they come under different ministries, she said.Though the bench stayed the operation of the HC order, thus reviving the different retirement age of two cadres of Coast Guard officers, it said, “It is high time that these regulations governing the service conditions and retirement age are reviewed. Govt cannot be stuck with the conditions envisaged and drafted in the 1940s.”In its order, the CJI-led bench said, “Operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed. However, govt shall constitute a committee of domain experts to revisit the conditions of service, including the age of retirement, and submit a report to the court.”On Nov 24 last year, a division bench of the Delhi HC comprising justices C Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla had quashed the two provisions of Rule 20 and said, “We hold, therefore, that the age of superannuation of 60 would apply to officers of the Coast Guard at all ranks.”This judgment was inspired by an earlier decision of the high court in ‘Dev Sharma vs Indo-Tibetan Border Police’ case, in which the distinction in retirement age of officers up to commandant and above were erased. The SC had upheld the HC’s Dev Sharma judgment.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosThree Fault Lines, One Open War: Security Expert Breaks Down Why Pakistan’s Taliban Gamble FailedPak-Afghan War: Security Expert Say Conflict Could End Badly for IslambadWho Is Really Running Pakistan’s Afghan Policy? Experts React To Islamabad’s AggressionIndia, Israel Backs Kabul: Pak Journalist’s Shocking Claims on Afghan Actions Against IslamabadAmid Rising Violence, Afghanistan Urges Pakistan For Talks To Prevent Prolonged Conflict“Deep Concern”: China Alarms As Pakistan-Afghanistan Clash Explodes After Taliban StrikeKejriwal Gets Clean Chit In Delhi Liquor Policy Case, Court Tears Into CBI Over Lack Of EvidencePakistan Army Blames India Again For ‘Open War’ Against Afghanistan, Calls Taliban Delhi’s ProxyCanada PM Mark Carney Lands In India, Aims For Fresh Push To Reset Strained Bilateral TiesPakistan in Open War With Afghanistan, But Does Islamabad Have the Military Muscle?123PhotostoriesFrom Thalapathy Vijay to Dhanush: South Indian celebrity divorces that shocked fansThe 50: From Yuvika Chaudhary getting upset with Mr Faisu to Sidharth Bharadwaj’s eviction; Top moments from the episode5 plants you should NEVER place near the main door as per Vastu and why3-ingredient breakfast dishes for working women and what makes them specialDitch the pastel winds: What Vijay Deverakonda’s and Rashmika Mandanna’s wedding outfits taught us6 Indian billionaires who own private residence worth crores in Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone, DelhiFrom red anarkali to yellow suit: Rashmika Mandanna’s newlywed glow steals the spotlight10 Bihari Sattu dishes that are good for gut health and overall nutritionOne woman dies every 8 minutes in India from cervical cancer: Oncologist shares 5 critical steps to prevent itDeepika Padukone to Aishwarya Rai: Bollywood stars who turned down Hollywood projects123Hot PicksPakistan-Afghanistan warIndia GDP growthGold rate todayAir ticket refund rulesIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingResident Evil RequiemDenver BroncosNFL RumorsHSR Stellaron Hunter Blade skinLos Angeles DodgersCody BellingerTony DungyShai Gilgeous AlexanderNFL CombineTony Dungy
NEW DELHI: At a time when govt is attempting to shed the country’s colonial vestiges, Supreme Court on Friday asked it to set up an expert panel for revisiting British-era prescribed retirement age and service conditions of armed forces personnel, including Coast Guards.A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justice Joymalya Bagchi passed this order on an appeal filed by govt challenging a Delhi HC order quashing Rule 20(1) and Rule 20(2) of Coast Guard (General) Rules, 1986, which provided that officers of rank of commandant and below would retire at the age of 57 years, while those above commandant would retired on attaining 60 years.Appearing for govt, additional solicitor general Archana Pathak Dave said the HC erred in comparing Coast Guards, which comes under ministry of defence, with central armed police forces like ITBP, CRPF, CISF, and Shashatra Seema Bal. Working of Coast Guard personnel is completely different from the CAPFs personnel and that they come under different ministries, she said.Though the bench stayed the operation of the HC order, thus reviving the different retirement age of two cadres of Coast Guard officers, it said, “It is high time that these regulations governing the service conditions and retirement age are reviewed. Govt cannot be stuck with the conditions envisaged and drafted in the 1940s.”In its order, the CJI-led bench said, “Operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed. However, govt shall constitute a committee of domain experts to revisit the conditions of service, including the age of retirement, and submit a report to the court.”On Nov 24 last year, a division bench of the Delhi HC comprising justices C Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla had quashed the two provisions of Rule 20 and said, “We hold, therefore, that the age of superannuation of 60 would apply to officers of the Coast Guard at all ranks.”This judgment was inspired by an earlier decision of the high court in ‘Dev Sharma vs Indo-Tibetan Border Police’ case, in which the distinction in retirement age of officers up to commandant and above were erased. The SC had upheld the HC’s Dev Sharma judgment.
