New Delhi. In a move aimed at retaining skilled manpower, the Indian Army is considering raising the retirement age of its personnel, media reports said.

This move comes after a study on “age enhancement for retirement,”conducted by the Army with the draft report given to the Defence Ministry for approval.

The study has identified specialists in various disciplines and examined the issue of raising the retirement age to between 55 and 58. The areas as suggested by the study include medical assistants, radiologists, electronics and mechanical engineers posted at Corps Headquarters and base workshop.

Currently, personnel of Other Ranks (ORs) start retiring after 15 to 17 years of service or by the time they are 35 to 37. For officers, the retirement age is 54, unless they get promoted to higher ranks.

“The move has been taken into consideration in the wake of huge technological advancement over the decades. Also, not all personnel go through the same stress or serve in extreme situations, so why can’t they serve till 55-58?” sources said.

Asked about the benefits of the step, the sources said it will help to retain expertise which saves the cost of replacing them and also reduce the mounting pension burden on the Army.