Overview
The National Coordination Committee — Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM) has called for extending Old Pension Scheme (OPS) benefits to a subset of central government employees who are covered by the National Pension System (NPS). The focus is on staff recruited against vacancies sanctioned before 22 December 2003, with the proposal contingent on government approval.
Who could benefit
- Central government employees who were recruited against vacancies sanctioned prior to 22 December 2003 and are currently covered under the NPS.
- Those hired for posts created before that date who would be eligible to switch from NPS to OPS if the government approves the proposal.
How this would differ from current OPS rules
- The existing OPS framework covers employees who were part of the pre-NPS pension regime; the request seeks to extend OPS benefits to a specific group of NPS participants tied to pre-2003 vacancies.
- Eligibility would depend on recruitment against pre-2003 sanctioned vacancies rather than broader tenure or service criteria.
The proposal remains under consideration, with any change in retirement benefits subject to government decision and accompanying policy steps.