Faisal Ahmad
After a struggle of six months, the youth have finally achieved a moderate result, as the Sindh provincial cabinet has approved a bill granting age relaxation for executive cadre positions from 30 to 33 years and allowing five attempts. However, the youth have an entirely different demand: making the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) transparent and a symbol of merit, which remains a dream for many candidates. Apart from that, a meeting of all vice-chancellors of public universities was held with the Chief Secretary, during which a proposal to extend the retirement age of professors from 60 to 65 was presented. The Sindh Government reviewed the proposal and there is a strong possibility that it will be approved.
The situation regarding age relaxation is quite different. On the one hand, the younger gen-eration is worried about making ends meet and securing good opportunities, whereas boomers, the outdated generation, make every possible effort to favour their own cadre. This is the main problem with our system: those who are already settled and enjoying government facilities are trying to extend their benefits, while the young generation is struggling to secure even a single opportunity. Young people have to face age limits, limited attempts and a system where merit is often questioned, but the same system is ready to grant more years to those who have already spent their lives in government institutions.
It is an undeniable fact that professors in Sindh pursue administrative positions. Even the Cir-cuit Bench of the Hyderabad High Court passed a verdict stating that teaching faculty cannot pursue administrative roles. However, no one seems ready to honour the court’s verdict and the influence of pressure groups still prevails. A degree from a foreign university does not guarantee that a person can teach well, conduct serious research or understand students’ problems. The real purpose of education is not merely to hold a degree or occupy a chair, but to produce knowledge and create opportunities for the next generation.
Recently, a syndicate election was held at the University of Sindh. It is a routine election in which the same group has won consecutively for fifteen years. However, video clips of their dances circulated on social media, depicting a bleak picture. We have never seen them conduct serious research; instead, they are a burden on government resources. They receive substantial salaries for doing nothing, merely sitting in their chairs and devising strategies for the next elections as well as finding ways to blackmail and put pressure on government machinery.
As a result, the government machinery is also outdated, with boomers occupying positions there and ultimately favouring their own interests. This is not merely a matter of age relaxation; it is a matter of justice, merit and the future of the younger generation. If experienced people are still capable of serving, they should prove it through their work, research and contributions, not by extending their retirement age. The government should empower the youth, not protect the boomers who have destroyed Sindh’s educational institutions.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Sindh.
