India, Nov. 25 -- The Delhi High Court on Monday ruled that the retirement age of 60 should be uniformly applied to all the ranks of Indian Coast Guard officers, striking down a rule prescribing different retirement ages for different ranks. The High Court held the rule to be "unconstitutional." As per the impugned rule, officers of the rank of commandant and below in the Indian Coast Guard used to retire at the age of 57, whereas officers above the rank of commandant used to retire at 60.

"In the absence of any factor which indicates a rational nexus between fixing of different ages of superannuation for officers of the rank of commandant and below and officers above the rank of commandant in the Coast Guard, we are constrained to hold ...