Government Pension

Over 168k pensioners' grievances redressed in last two years: MoS

More than 1.68 lakh pensioners' grievances have been redressed in the last two years, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply, he said the Centralised Pension Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS) has reduced the backlog with no case pending for more than two years as on date. The CPENGRAMS is an online system for redressal of pension-related grievances. "1,68,964 grievances have been resolved during last two years (from 01.11.2022 to 31.10.2024)," said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel. For the redressal of grievances of family pensioners and super-senior pensioners, specific categorisation of such grievances, including the delay in the start of family pension and additional pension, has been done for better monitoring, the minister said. Further, regular reminders are issued and monthly Inter-Ministerial Review Meetings (IMRMs) are conducted for such cases, he said. Also, under 100 days action plan, a month-lon

OROP key step towards reaffirming nation's gratitude to its heroes: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the implementation of 'one rank one pension' for veterans was a significant step towards reaffirming the nation's gratitude to its heroes. In posts on X, he noted that the scheme, a promise of the BJP before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, was implemented on this day. His government took the decision to implement OROP by issuing an order on November 7, 2015, making its benefits effective from July 1, 2014. "It would make you all happy that over the decade, lakhs of pensioners and pensioner families have benefitted from this landmark initiative. Beyond the numbers, OROP represents the government's commitment to the well-being of our armed forces," he said. The prime minister said his government will always do everything possible to strengthen the armed forces and further the welfare of those who serve the nation. He said the execution of OROP was a tribute to the courage and sacrifices of veterans and ex-service personnel who dedicate th

Over 180k pensioners benefitted by govt's digital life certificate campaign

More than 1.8 lakh pensioners generated their digital life certificates on the very first day a special campaign was launched to promote it, the Centre said on Friday. The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) has launched the third nationwide digital life certificate (DLC) campaign, which is being held in 800 cities and districts across the country from November 1 to November 30. "This is the biggest-ever DLC campaign undertaken," said a statement issued by the personnel ministry. The total number of DLCs generated by Friday evening was 1.81 lakh, it added. The focus of the campaign is on promoting face-authentication technology. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will provide technical support during the campaign. "Face authentication has been made more seamless and convenient for the elderly pensioners and can be used on Android as well as iOS," the statement said. The campaign is bei

Activists flag impact of 'digital exclusion' on country's pensioners

Pension Parishad and Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) said that 'digital exclusion' is impacting lakhs of pensioners across India, especially in Rajasthan. In a press conference on Tuesday, the MKSS said that pensioners from Rajasthan who were receiving a monthly pension between Rs 500-750, have not received any money for the past two years. This is particularly concerning since the pension amount was increased to Rs 1,000. The Pension Parishad shared testimonies from affected pensioners, including the elderly, disabled, and widowed individuals who have been denied their pensions due to various administrative and digital barriers, a statement stated. "Issues mentioned included wrongful death declarations, data mismatches, biometric authentication failures, and challenges in obtaining Aadhar IDs," it read. Nikhil Dey of Pension Parishad and MKSS, highlighted the compounded marginalisation faced by pensioners on account of their age, disability, or other vulnerabilities, describ

Govt rushes to notify Unified Pension Scheme by October 15, launch by 2025

Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan has been holding regular meetings with key ministries and departments to ensure a smooth transition from NPS to UPS

New simplified pension application form released for central govt employees

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Friday launched a new simplified pension application form for retiring central government employees. A total of nine different forms have been merged into one form -- Form 6A -- that was launched by the minister through video-conference. Singh said the launch of the simplified form is yet another step by the government to ensure ease of living for citizens and pensioners. The new form will be available in Bhavishya/e-HRMS (portals) for all central government employees who are going to retire in December 2024 and onwards. Bhavishya is an initiative of Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare, which is launched with the goal to ensure payment of all retirement dues and delivery of Pension Payment Order (PPO) to retiring employees on the day of retirement itself. The system provides online tracking of pension sanction and payment process by the individual as well as the administrative authorities for all actions preparatory to grant pension and ...

Unified Pension System: Reversal of pension reform should have been avoided

The new modified pension scheme is better than OPS, but switching to NPS was one of the biggest reforms in recent decades and would have benefited the country in the long run

UPS ensures dignity, financial security for govt employees, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday the Unified Pension Scheme ensures dignity and financial security for government employees, aligning with the government's commitment to their well-being and secure future. His remarks came after the Union Cabinet approved an assured 50 per cent of salary as pension for 23 lakh government employees who joined service under the National Pension System (NPS). The National Pension System is applicable for government employees joining the service after April 1, 2004. It was based on the premise of contribution rather than defined benefit applicable for employees prior to the NPS. "We are proud of the hard work of all government employees who contribute significantly to national progress. The Unified Pension Scheme ensures dignity and financial security for government employees, aligning with our commitment to their well-being and a secure future," Modi said in a post on X. Announcing Cabinet decisions, Union Information and Broadcasting Minist

Govt approves Unified Pension Scheme, to benefit 2.3 mn central employees

There will be an option for the employees to opt between NPS and UPS, said Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Maharashtra's gazetted officers' body to go on strike from Aug 29

The Maharashtra State Gazetted Officers Mahasangh on Thursday said it will go on an indefinite strike from August 29 if its demands, including reintroduction of the Old Pension Scheme, are not met. The move comes ahead of the state assembly polls likely to be held in October or November. The MSGOM said as stated in the state budget, the government must issue a government resolution on the OPS. It said the issue of OPS has been discussed with the state government but it is not being implemented. It has also demanded that the retirement age of state government employees be raised to 60 from 58. The MSOGM, while opposing the system of contractual jobs, demanded that three lakh vacant posts be filled by the state government.

Asia stocks find some footing amid US recession concerns, Nikkei drops

The GPIF is a massive fund with considerable market power and its investment decisions are highly influential

8th Pay Commission: Govt gets proposal for hike in DA, basic pay, pension

With a decade between each pay commissions, the next installment is expected to take effect from January 1, 2026

NDA govt proposes 50% assured pension for central govt staff under NPS

The Modi govt has set up a committee led by Finance Secretary T V Somanathan in 2023 to explore ways to improve pension benefits under the NPS after states began reverting to OPS

Gratuity hike setback, wellness retreat: Top personal finance stories

Our top stories this week tell you about EPFO's decision and the best well retreats in the country

Inclusion of foreign workers in PF is 'unconstitutional': Karnataka HC

The decision comes 15 years after the extension of PF and pension coverage to foreign workers via a legislative amendment

Himachal Pradesh govt issues notification for granting pension to women

Facing criticism for not honouring a poll promise of giving Rs 1,500 per month to women in the age bracket of 18 to 59 years, the Himachal Pradesh government issued a notification on Thursday for granting pension under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana. On March 4, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that the state government will give Rs 1,500 per month to women and said a sum of Rs 800 crore would be spent on the initiative, benefitting more than five lakh women annually. According to the notification, income-tax payers, women monks permanently staying in monasteries, family members of employees, pensioners of central and state governments and employees of panchayati raj institutions, local bodies and public sector undertakings of the state and central governments will not get the amount. The other categories excluded from the pension are contractual employees, outsourced employees, daily wagers, part-time employees, ex-servicemen and their widows,

After farmers, railway unions threaten protests from May 1: Here's why

Several unions of railway employees have announced that they might bring a halt to all train services from May 1 if their demand of reinstating the Old Pension Scheme is not met

Managing pension corpus, life in retirement: Top personal finance stories

Our top stories this week tell you how to add years to your finances and the best senior living societies

Interim Budget may raise pension floor for unorganised sector workers

PFRDA says current amount may not help attract new Atal Pension subscribers

Govt pension portal for defence personnel SPARSH suffers data breach

The digitised pension processing system, SPARSH, offers online pension-related facilities to over 3 million pensioners from 50 organisations