All these writ petitions relate to the enhancement of retirement age of the employees in the Kerala State Financial Enterprises Ltd. ('KSFE’ for short) and are therefore disposed of by this common judgment. Parties and documents referred to in this judgment are as described in W.P.(C) No.3267 of 2017, unless specified otherwise.

2. The employees of the KSFE are in the 4th round of litigation for enhancement of retirement age. At the time when these writ petitions were filed, the Board of Directors of KSFE had already taken a decision to enhance the retirement age, but their proposal was not approved by the Government. Subsequent to the filing of these writ petitions the Board of Directors cancelled their earlier decision to enhance the retirement age.

3. The KSFE is a company fully owned by the Government, incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 and it is a miscellaneous non banking financial institution. The service conditions of the employees of the KSFE are governed by “Standing Orders applicable to the employees of the Kerala State Financial Enterprises Ltd.” which is a certified standing order in terms of Clause 17 of the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders Act,