Mangaluru retired teachers demand rectification of anomalies in pension revision

Mangaluru: Retired teachers have urged the Government of Karnataka to address anomalies in the recent pension revision, alleging that the current fixation has led to financial injustice for a section of pensioners.

The retired teachers said that Mangalore University had recently revised pension fixation for faculty who retired between July 1, 2022, and July 31, 2024, and issued intimations accordingly. However, contrary to expectations, the revised pension remains unchanged from the pre-revision level, causing widespread dissatisfaction among retirees.

The teachers pointed out that any salary or pension revision should ideally result in an increase—whether marginal or substantial. They expressed concern that the current fixation, based on a government order dated June 30, 2025, has failed to provide any such benefit, effectively nullifying the purpose of revision.

Teachers working in state government educational institutions under UGC, ICAR, and AICTE pay scales are treated as state government employees, and post-retirement, as state pensioners. As per the recommendations of the Karnataka 7th Pay Commission, pensions of retired state employees were revised with effect from July 1, 2022, with monetary benefits implemented from August 1, 2024.

While this benefit was extended to teachers who retired prior to July 1, 2022, the revision for those retiring after this date was issued through a separate order on June 30, 2025. The teachers alleged that implementation was delayed in universities due to inherent anomalies in the order.

They further explained that for those who retired before July 1, 2022, Dearness Allowance (DA) was merged with the revised pension along with an additional increase, ensuring higher overall benefits. In contrast, teachers who retired between July 1, 2022, and July 31, 2024, have not received similar advantages, resulting in a significant disparity.

According to the press note, the affected retirees could face a reduction of up to Rs 50,000 in total pension compared to their counterparts who retired earlier. The teachers termed this as a “grave injustice” arising from the June 30, 2025 order.

Citing observations by the Supreme Court of India, the retirees emphasised that pension is a right earned through service and not a discretionary benefit.

They have appealed to the state government to urgently rectify the anomalies and ensure equitable pension benefits for all retired teachers.