Jamshedpur, Feb. 7: Jharkhand High Court has deferred its judgment on increasing the retirement age of university teachers in the state till March 10.

Court of Justice M.Y. Iqbal was expected to deliver final judgment on the issue of increasing the retirement age of university teachers from 60 to 62 years.

But the judgment was put off following a plea by the Election Commission, which said delivering a judgment at this juncture, might tantamount to violation of the model code of conduct.

?The Election Commission has sent a message to the court stating that hiking the retirement age of teachers at this juncture will have an adverse effect and lead to violation of the model of conduct.

?Keeping this in view, the judgment has been deferred till March 10,? said Shoail Anwar, a senior high court advocate, who is fighting a case on behalf of the petitioners.

Former principal of Jamshedpur Co-operative College, along with 11 other teaching staff of Ranchi University, had filed a petition at the high court against the Election Commission and the state government for failing to notify the hike in retirement age.

Twelve teaching staff members, including Thakur, retired on January 31, a month after the state Cabinet gave its nod to the proposal to increase the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 62 years.

But following a directive from the Chief Election Commission, the state panel had asked the government to keep the matter pending till the completion of the state Assembly poll.

At present, the university has made temporary appointments against the retired teaching staff.

But university authorities has made it clear that if the court decision went in favour of retired teachers then temporary appointments will be rolled back. Four principals of Ranchi University constituent colleges, including Jamshedpur Co-operative College, Graduate School College for Women, Mandar College and Namdhari College (Garwah) retired on January 31

The university has appointed acting principals in these colleges. Ranchi University officials admitted that several colleges are short of principals as they are being headed by professors in-charge.