The government plans to provide 50% of the final pay drawn as pension for central government employees enrolled in the National Pension System (NPS). This effort addresses their worries about the pension payout, even though the current scheme offers attractive returns for those who remain invested for 25-30 years, especially for those recruited after 2004, according to a news report by Sidhartha in Times of India. A committee, led by Finance Secretary T V Somanathan, was formed after an announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Although the government has rejected a return to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), it has left open the option to provide some level of reassurance. This comes amidst the Congress announcing a reversal of a decision made by the Manmohan Singh government. What is the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)? For the OPS scheme, government employees can receive half of their last drawn salary as a lifelong pension. This amount is subject to adjustments based on pay commission recommendations. The OPS ensures that government employees receive a guaranteed monthly pension upon retirement, provided they have completed at least ten years of service. This pension amount is calculated based on their last drawn basic salary and the total number of years in service. One of the key features of the OPS is that the government is responsible for paying the entire pension amount to the retired government employees. This means that during their years of service, no portion of the employees’ salaries is deducted towards their pension fund. This scheme offers financial security and stability to government employees after their retirement, allowing them to plan for their post-retirement life with confidence. On the other hand, the NPS scheme works differently, as it is a defined contribution plan. Under this scheme, government employees contribute 10% of their basic salary, and the Centre provides a 14% contribution. Pension: Budget 2024 Expectations The Somanathan committee has examined the international experience and studied the adjustments made by the Andhra Pradesh government. Additionally, extensive calculations have assessed the effects of guaranteeing a certain return. “Although it is possible for the Centre to offer 40-45% guarantee, politically, it does not address the concern of employees who work for 25-30 years. As a result, there is growing acknowledgment within the govt of offering a 50% guarantee. Which means in case of a shortfall, the govt will fill the gap,” according to the Times of India news report. The committee members believe that an annual assessment must be carried out, as opposed to the government pension system, which is unfunded because the Centre lacks a retirement fund. The Centre will probably establish a fund this time in Budget 2024, similar to companies that provide retirement benefits to their employees. Officials have stated that individuals who remain employed for 25-30 years are experiencing satisfactory returns that align with the pension payments received by those under the OPS. They have noted that the grievances regarding low payouts primarily come from individuals who have left the scheme after completing 20 years or less. On January 11, 2024, in a memorandum, the Joint Forum for Restoration of Old Pension Scheme (NJCA), formed under the banner of the NJCA, urged the finance ministry to reinstate the non-contributory and guaranteed Old Pension Scheme instead of the contributory National Pension System for central government employees – including those in railways, defense, postal, income tax, accounts and audit, central secretariat, Isro, DAE, etc., as well as for autonomous bodies, paramilitary forces, and all state govt./Union territory employees, comprising primary teachers, high school and higher secondary teachers, and College and University Teachers, etc. The reinstatement applies to employees hired on or after January 1, 2004. The department of expenditure of the finance ministry responded to the demand for the Guaranteed Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to replace the existing National Pension System (NPS) for central government employees, as requested by the Joint Forum for Restoration of Old Pension Scheme (NJCA), “It is informed that the Committee formed under the Chairmanship of FS & SE to look into the issue of NPS has already had two rounds of detailed discussion with the Staff Side of National Council (JCM) and the valuable views of the NC (JCM) have already been noted by the Committee.”
