Minister moots raising retirement age of professors in govt. medical colleges

Published 9 July 2026 · health

In view of many professor posts lying vacant in government medical colleges in the State, Minister for Health, Medical and Family Welfare Satya Kumar Yadav

In view of many professor posts lying vacant in government medical colleges in the State, Minister for Health, Medical and Family Welfare Satya Kumar Yadav has said there is a need to consider increasing the retirement age for them. At present, the retirement age for professors in the State is 63. Taking part in a review meeting at the Secretariat on July 9, Thursday, the Minister noted with concern that out of 800 sanctioned professor posts in 17 government medical colleges across the State, around 200 remain vacant, which is affecting the quality of medical education.

In 16 super-speciality departments, 106 out of 159 professor posts are vacant. According to a press release from the department, the Medical Commission (NMC) mandates one professor for every three postgraduate seats. In private colleges, the retirement age is 70, and therefore, they do not have the same problem, the Minister noted. While the professor posts are filled through promotions, vacancies are emerging due to “ineligible candidates” for promotions, according to the release. Stating that quality medical education is critical, the Minister has instructed Director of Medical Education A.

Vishnu Vardhan to look into the matter and prepare a report recommending the increase in the existing retirement age for professors. Violations in pvt. colleges During the meeting, the Minister also looked into cases of a few violations found in private colleges, and asked officials to investigate such issues and ensure compliance with the NMC norms. He asked the authorities of the Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences to conduct surprise inspections, identify deficiencies, and ensure corrective measures are implemented. Fund utilisation On the utilisation of funds allocated to the health sector in the Budget 2026-27, the officials informed him that out of ₹18,216 crore, ₹4,130 crore (22.72%) was spent during the first quarter (April–June).

Expressing satisfaction over the utilisation of the funds, he said there is a need for better utilisation of the Central assistance. Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar, Director of Medical Education Dr. Vishnu Vardhan, Direcor of Secondary Health K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu, Director of Public Health Dr. Padmavathi and others took part in the meeting.