For the foregoing discussions, we answer the questions of reference, as follows:-
(i) In view of the specific provision in Rule 73 of the Jharkhand Service Code, 2001, providing the age of compulsory retirement as 60 years (now), a regular Government servant holding the post in substantive capacity, even if appointed prior to the age of 18 years, cannot be superannuated before actually attaining the age of 60 years according to his date of birth recorded in his service records, irrespective of his length of service, treating his age to be 18 years on the date of his appointment.
(ii) In absence of any provision in the Jharkhand Service Code, 2001, prohibiting the appointment of a Government servant prior to the age of 18 years, the appointment of a person prior to attaining the age of 18 years, cannot be said to be against Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 read with Section 3 of the Majority Act, 1875.
(iii) Jharkhand Service Code, being a complete Code in itself, and Rule 73 thereof being specific and unambiguous in its terms, there is no scope of taking help of any other law or rule for drawing any inference that the intention of the Legislature was to allow only 40 years (or 42 years now) of service, as the maximum period of service, to which a Government servant can be allowed to continue in Government service. Accordingly, even if a person enters into the service prior to the age of 18 years, he shall be entitled to continue in service, until he actually attains the age of 60 years as per his date of birth recorded in his service records, which is the prescribed age of compulsory retirement from service, irrespective of his length of service.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI
L.P.A. No. 262 of 2011
Decided On: 08.05.2017
The State of Jharkhand and Ors.Vs.Arun Kumar Dhar
Hon'ble Judges/Coram:
Harish Chandra Mishra, Aparesh Kumar Singh and Dr. S.N. Pathak, JJ.
Citation: AIR 2017 JHARKHAND 126 (FB)




