India's 1st-of-the-Month Retirement Rule
The proviso to Fundamental Rule 56(a): central government servants retire on the afternoon of the last day of the month they turn 60 — or the previous month-end if born on the 1st. What it says, who it covers, and worked examples.
What the rule says
Fundamental Rule 56(a) sets superannuation at 60. Its proviso adds the timing: a government servant "shall retire from service with effect from the afternoon of the last day of the month in which his date of retirement falls" — and crucially, someone born on the 1st of a month is treated as having attained 60 on the last day of the previous month.
In plain terms:
- Born 15 March 1965 → retire 31 March 2025 (afternoon).
- Born 1 June 1965 → retire 31 May 2025 (afternoon) — the previous month-end.
Worked examples
- Born 15 March 1985: retires 31 March 2045 (Friday) (afternoon of the last day of the month).
- Born 1 June 1985: retires 31 May 2045 (Wednesday) (born on the 1st, so the previous month-end).
Who it covers
The rule covers central government servants under the Fundamental Rules. State governments generally follow a month-end convention too, but the exact wording is each state's own — confirm yours. It doesn't apply to private employment at all.
Why the 1st is special
Because of how "attaining an age" is counted: you're treated as completing 60 years at the end of the day before your 60th birthday. Born on the 1st, you complete 60 years as the previous month ends — so you retire with that month, not the birthday month. It's the same attainment logic behind Social Security's day-before-birthday rule.
Related
Source: Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Government of India
Frequently asked questions
Does "afternoon" matter?
Only administratively — you're in service through the forenoon of your last day. The date is what the calculators show.
I was born on the 1st. Do I really retire a month "early"?
You retire at the end of the previous month — roughly 30 days before your birthday month ends. It's the proviso working as written, not an error.
Does this apply to state government employees?
The FR 56(a) proviso is a central rule. Most states use a month-end convention, but confirm your state's exact wording — the state calculator notes this beside each result.