Latest news with #NewPensionScheme
News18
6 days ago
- Business
- News18
Unified Pension Scheme: Retired Govt Employees With Over 10 Years' Service To Get Additional Benefits
Last Updated: The government announces that central government NPS retirees by March 31, 2025, with at least 10 years of service, can claim extra benefits under the UPS. In a major relief for retired central government employees, the central government has said that the central government NPS (National Pension System) subscribers who retired on or before March 31, 2025, with a minimum of 10 years of qualifying service, are now eligible to claim additional benefits under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) — over and above the regular NPS benefits they may have already availed. This benefit can also be claimed by the legally wedded spouse of the eligible retiree. 'The Central government NPS subscribers who retired on or before 31/03/2025 with minimum 10 years of qualifying service or their legally wedded spouse can claim the following additional benefits under Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), over and above the NPS benefits already claimed," the finance ministry said in a statement on Friday, May 30, 2025. What Are the Additional Benefits? Eligible retirees will receive a lump sum amount equivalent to one-tenth of their last drawn basic pay plus applicable dearness allowance (DA) for every completed six months of qualifying service. Monthly Top-Up Pension A monthly top-up will be calculated based on the UPS payout combined with dearness relief (DR), after deducting the representative annuity amount already received under NPS. How to Claim the Benefits? Physical Mode: Form B2 for the subscriber Form B4/B6 for the legally wedded spouse Forms can be downloaded from: Online Mode: Visit the same website and fill out the online form for quick processing. Important Deadline The last date to claim the UPS benefits is June 30, 2025. Applicants are advised to apply well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues. Need Help? For more information, join the official webinar hosted by PFRDA at: Or call the UPS Help Desk (Toll-Free) at 1800 571 2930. The Cabinet in August 2024 approved the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), for an assured pension post-retirement. The UPS has been implemented from April 1, 2025. The move comes after the long-pending demand of the central government employees to reform the new pension scheme (NPS). It is the latest pension scheme for government employees. Under the UPS, there will be a provision of a fixed assured pension, unlike the New Pension Scheme (NPS) which does not promise a fixed pension amount. Under the Unified Pension Scheme, the assured payout will be calculated based on the last 12-month salary, months of qualified service, and retirement corpus. First Published:
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Provide detailed information to staff on Unified Pension Scheme, directs Railways Ministry
There was an urgent need to ensure wide and effective communication among all employees regarding options available under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), the Union Ministry of Railways has said. In a written communication addressed to the Principal Chief Personnel Officers of all 17 Railway Zones, the Ministry said that an immediate and proactive measure was needed to "disseminate clear, accurate and comprehensive information about the available options under the UPS". "It is essential that employees are well-informed and supported in making their decisions," the Ministry said. The Ministry also urged officials to organise facilitation camps at various locations, ensuring adequate support from human resources, and finance personnel, and subject matter experts. "These camps should serve as a platform for employees to seek guidance, clarify doubts and complete their registration process with ease," the circular dated May 21 said. "Additionally, you are requested to maintain detailed records of the facilitation camps conducted, including dates, location, the number of employees who attended and those who completed their registration," the Ministry added. The Union Government has introduced the New Pension Scheme (NPS) for new recruits, and provided options to the present employees to choose between the existing NPS, or the UPS.
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In major relief, Punjab govt notifies implementation of Old Pension Scheme for nearly 2,500 employees
In a huge relief to nearly 2,500 government employees in Punjab, the state government Friday issued a notification implementing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees whose posts were advertised or appointment letters were issued before January 1, 2004, but who had joined the service later. These employees were earlier covered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) despite their pre-2004 recruitment process, prompting them to seek judicial intervention. The notification, dated May 23, 2025, follows a Punjab and Haryana High Court directive, bringing to a close a long legal battle fought by the affected employees. Many of them have already completed more than 20 years in service. The employees are from various departments, including the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), education, local bodies, and others. According to the amended rules under the Punjab Civil Services Rules, Volume II, OPS will now apply to employees who joined after January 1, 2004, provided their posts were advertised or appointment letters were issued before that date. Employees appointed on compassionate grounds after January 1, 2004, will also be covered under OPS if the request for appointment and eligibility conditions were fulfilled before January 1, 2004. Eligible employees will be given the option to choose between OPS and the New Defined Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS). If no option is exercised within three months from the notification date, they will be deemed to have opted for NPS. Jasvir Talwara, convenor of the Purani Pension Bahali Sangharsh Committee, welcomed the decision and termed it a victory for justice. 'These employees were unfairly placed under NPS despite having fulfilled all conditions for OPS. The May 23 notification is a big win for them,' he said. Talwara added that the government must now act swiftly to comply with the high court's direction to open General Provident Fund (GPF) accounts for the 2,500 employees by May 28, 2025, so the implementation process of OPS can begin. However, he also raised concerns that around 2 lakh other employees, who joined service after January 1, 2004, continue to be excluded from OPS despite promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before the 2022 Assembly polls. 'The government issued a notification in November 2022 promising OPS for all, but implementation has not happened. Instead, AAP ministers are now urging us to consider the Unified Pension Scheme introduced by the Centre last year, which we reject,' Talwara said. While Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann recently reiterated the implementation of OPS for employees with pre-2004 appointments, he made no mention of the larger group of post-2004 employees still awaiting relief. The OPS notification for the 2,500 employees marks a partial fulfilment of the government's commitment, but the larger demand for a complete rollback of NPS remains unresolved, said Rajat Mahajan, president of the Purani Pension Bahali Sangharsh Committee. In the first week of May, the committee members highlighted the case of Sarwan Singh who retired as a drawing teacher on July 31, 2021, under NPS. Singh now gets a pension of just Rs 4,520 per month and earns a living by setting up a burger stall in Hoshiarpur's Dasuya. It is just the tip of the iceberg, said Mahajan. The committee urged the Punjab government to remember the promises it made in 2022 before coming to power.
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Business Standard
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Supreme Court backs one rank-one pension for all retired HC judges
The Supreme Court on Monday directed uniform pension benefits for all retired high court judges, irrespective of their mode of appointment or tenure, saying "one rank one pension has to be the norm in respect of a constitutional office". A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Augustine George Masih and K Vinod Chandran held that any classification in pension benefits based on whether judges came from the bar or district judiciary, or whether they were permanent or additional judges, was discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. One rank one pension has to be the norm in respect of a constitutional office, the CJI, writing a 63-page judgement, said. Dealing with six issues over the disparity in pensionary and other retiral benefits to high court judges, the top court ruled that they must be granted pensions calculated at a basic annual amount of Rs 13.50 lakh whereas the retired chief justices would be entitled to Rs 15 lakh per annum. The principle of one rank one pension requires all retired judges of the high court to be paid a uniform pension. We find that once a judge assumes the office of the high court judge and enters into a constitutional class, i.e., the class of a high court judge, no differential treatment would be permissible merely on the ground of date of appointment, it added. When a high court judge is in office, the bench said, irrespective of their source of entry, they are entitled to the same salary and perquisites. When all the judges of the high courts, when in office, are entitled to the same salary, perks and benefits, any discrimination amongst them on the ground of their source of entry, in our view, would be patently discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India, it said. The services of a judicial officer who becomes a high court judge from the judicial services so also the experience of a Member of the Bar who becomes a high court judge from the Bar is required to be taken into consideration, it said. That break-in service for a period between the date of retirement as a District Judge and the date of assuming the office as a high court judge cannot be a ground for denial of pension on the basis of salary drawn as a high court Judge. The pension of even such Judges has to be on the basis of the salary drawn as HC judges, it said. A person who retires as a high court judge even if he was appointed in the state judiciary after the New Pension Scheme (NPS) came into effect would still be entitled to benefit of GPF (general provident fund) under the HCJ [The High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1954], it said. Referring to judgements, it said there was a common thread in all of them barring any discrimination in payment of pension. The bench also dealt with the issue of whether full pension could be denied to a high court judge on the ground that there was a break in service between the date of retirement as a district judge and the date of assuming office as a high court judge. On whether retired high court judges who entered the state judiciary after the NPS came into effect would be entitled to receive pension as high court Judges, the bench they should get the equal pension. Dealing with the consequential issue on how the amount contributed by such judges and the state respectively under NPS would be treated, the court said, We find that, it will be equitable to direct the states to refund the amount contributed by such judges along with the dividend accrued thereon. Insofar as the contribution made by the state along with the dividend accrued thereon is concerned, it should be credited to the account of state." The judges, bench pointed out, who retired as additional judges, would also get the pension like permanent high court judges. The perusal of the definition would show that the definition of a 'Judge' is wide enough to include a Chief Justice, an acting Chief Justice, an additional Judge and an acting Judge of the High Court.... to bring out any artificial discrimination between a Permanent Judge and an Additional Judge in the term 'Judge' as defined in Section 14 of the HCJ Act (the High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act) would be doing violence to the definition of a 'Judge', it said. We, therefore, have no hesitation in holding that even retired Additional HC Judges will be entitled to same basic pension that is Rs 13.50 lakh per annum, it held. On the issue of family pension and gratuity being denied to widows and family members of additional high court judges, the bench ruled it as "patently arbitrary". It also said the denial of gratuity to the widow and family members of a judge who died in harness was totally unsustainable. Dealing with the issue relating to payment of provident fund and other benefits on the retirement of high court judges, it held all allowances payable to a retired judge on his retirement as a judge of the high court irrespective of the mode of entry as high court judge will have to be paid in line with the provisions of the HCJ Act. The top court reserved the judgement on January 28 in the matter. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Business Standard
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Supreme Court orders equal pensions for all HC judges, ending disparity
Applying the principle of 'one rank, one pension', the Supreme Court of India on Monday ordered that all retired High Court judges are entitled to receive full and equal pensions regardless of their source of entry and the date of appointment. The court highlighted that this is essential in ensuring equality while avoiding disparity in pensions. 'The dignity of the constitutional office demands that all judges be paid the same pension. Once a judge enters constitutional office, the source of entry loses relevance,' the court observed, as quoted by legal news website Law Trend. The judgement was passed by the three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justice AG Masih and Justice K Vinod Chandran. The top court was hearing a suo motu case related to judicial retirement benefits, along with writ petitions submitted by several retired judges. Also Read 'Where equal treatment is given during service, any discrimination after retirement in terminal benefits would offend Article 14 of the Constitution,' the bench said. Unified payment structure Retired Chief Justices of High Courts will receive an annual pension of ₹15 lakh. Retired High Court Judges, including former Additional Judges, are entitled to an annual pension of ₹13.5 lakh. The Court directed that the 'one rank, one pension' principle be applied uniformly, regardless of whether a judge entered the judiciary from the Bar or through judicial service, or the length of service in either stream. For judges elevated from the district judiciary, any gap in service between the two appointments shall not affect their entitlement to full pension. Judges who began their careers in the district judiciary under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and were later elevated to the High Court are also eligible for full pension. In such cases, the entire NPS contribution, along with accrued dividends, must be refunded by the respective state governments. Family pensions must be extended to the legal heirs of High Court judges who died in harness, regardless of whether they held permanent or additional positions. The Supreme Court observed that the conclusion was reached after examining Article 221 of the Constitution and the High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1954. The Court underscored the significance of ensuring equal treatment in its order.
