Government's big decision: Now central employees coming under UPS will also be eligible for retirement, death gratuity

Union Minister of State for Personnel Dr. Jitendra Singh announced that all Central employees who are covered by the Integrated Pension Scheme (UPS) have now become eligible for retirement as well as death gratuity allowance for beneficiaries for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

After long-standing demands of a large segment of government employees, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, announced that this step meets a long-standing request of government employees and brings parity in retirement benefits. The Minister announced that the newly added provision is a culmination of efforts by the government to obtain social security for all kinds of employees who are covered by the National Pension System (NPS).

At a press conference on the journey of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in the last 11 years, Singh said several reforms have been carried out to simplify governance, empower citizens, and humanise the administration.

He said central government employees covered under the UPS will now be eligible for retirement and death gratuity benefits in line with the provisions of the Central Civil Services (Payment of Gratuity under NPS) Rules, 2021.

The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) of the Ministry of Personnel on Wednesday issued an order on options for central government employees covered under the UPS to receive benefits under the OPS on the death of the government employee during service or his termination from government service due to incapacity or disability.

The order gives discretion to an employee whether he should be re-covered again for OPS in the event of death during service.