Old Pension Scheme: No Proposal To Increase Time Limit For Employees To Switch From NPS To OPS, Says Govt

New Delhi: There is no proposal to increase the time limit for central government employees to switch from the National Pension System to the old pension scheme, the government said on Wednesday.

The NPS was introduced for central government employees in 2003.

NPS is mandatory for all new recruits in the central government service from January 1, 2004 (except the armed forces), Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

In pursuance of court judgements, the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare issued instructions on March 3, 2023, giving a one-time option to the central government civil employee for inclusion under Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 (now 2021) who have been appointed against a post or vacancy which was advertised or notified for recruitment/appointment prior to notification for NPS on December 22, 2003, he said.

The extant procedures state that it is for the appointing authority of the post in the ministry concerned against which such an option has been exercised to examine and decide applicability of these instructions, Singh said.

"Fixed time schedules stipulated for every activity to be performed for examination and decision of the options exercised by the employee," he said.

The time limit for submission of option by employees was August 31, 2023, while the time limit for examination and decision on the option by appointing authority concerned was November 30, 2023, he added.

There is no proposal to issue any further instruction with respect to the order issued on March 3, 2023, the minister said.

Manjeet Singh Patel, national president of the All India NPS Employees Federation, asked the government to extend the date to benefit the eligible employees.

"A lot of NPS employees are still deprived of this benefit and seeking extension in time limit. We request the government of India to extend the date to provide benefits to the remaining eligible employees," Patel said.