Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, July 28Army doctors on Thursday approached the Supreme Court pleading for parity with civilian medicos in the retirement age at 65. A Bench headed by Justice Anil R Dave agreed to hear on Friday a petition by eight doctors slated to retire in three days. The petitioners from the Army Medical Corps (AMC) pleaded that the Centre had recently raised the retirement age of civilian doctors to 65, but the Defence Ministry was not extending the benefit to the army where doctors retired at 60 or 62, depending upon their rank.However, other government wings such as paramilitary forces had decided to follow the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare decision to retire doctors at 65 from May 31 this year.The Centre’s move has come at the instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making use of the services of experienced doctors for the benefit of the poor.