Age Is Not Just A Number: Government Implies To Pensioners

If you think age is just a number, and retirement is not an end but a beginning, think again. At least, the Government of India's personnel ministry doesn't want you to think like this. In the era of smart phones, when everyone tends to take selfies every now and then, followed by a tendency to use the same pictures for government forms, the personnel ministry is not enthused with the idea. In a recent dos and don'ts, the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions has clearly ruled out photographs with colours and dark glasses and long hair that covers the eyes.

These instructions refrain the government employees from pasting/uploading black and white photographs. The personnel ministry's instructions further direct the employees that the dimensions of photographs and signature should not be smaller than the box provided in the application form. Photograph should not be in the form of selfie, the personnel ministry said in its recent directive. Glares on eyeglasses should be avoided with a slight upward or downward tilt of the head, the directive added.

Central government civil pensioners are required to submit three copies of a joint photograph (or separate photographs) with their wives or husbands (duly attested by head of office) along with form 5 of the Central Civil Service Pension Rules 1972 for affixing on a payment pension order.

As per the government rules, a government servant must get the form filled in eight months before the date of their retirement. The form must be filled in by the head of the office.

The ministry has made it clear that a photograph, to be pasted on the retirement form, with a dark background or in uniform, or with eyes covered under coloured or dark glasses will not be accepted. Even the photographs in computer print will also not be accepted.