VINOD KUMAR Vs. SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Since common questions of law and fact are involved in these writ petitions, therefore they were heard together and are being decided by a common judgment. However, for the sake of brevity, facts of Writ Petition (S/B) No.350 of 2023 alone are being considered and discussed.

(2.) Dr. Vinod Kumar (petitioner in Writ Petition (S/B) No.350 of 2023) was appointed in G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (hereinafter referred to as 'the University') on the post of Senior Statistician/Senior Research Officer, Statistics (General Budget), vide order dtd. 22/10/2007 issued by Chief Personnel Officer on behalf of Vice-Chancellor. He was given promotion to the post of Professor, Statistics vide order dtd. 20/4/2015. Age of superannuation of Teachers serving in the University was increased from 60 years to 65 years and he was given benefit of said decision and was permitted to continue in service even after completing 60 years of age.

(3.) In this writ petition, he has challenged the order dtd. 4/7/2023 passed by Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Government of Uttarakhand, which provided that employees, other than Teacher, who are continuing in service after completing 60 years of age, shall be retired forthwith. Pursuant to said order, Chief Personnel Officer of the University retired Dr Vinod Kumar w.e.f. 4/7/2023, vide order dtd. 12/7/2023. He has challenged these two orders in this writ petition. Substantive reliefs claimed in the writ petition are reproduced below: