The decision will benefit those whose applications were submitted before the introduction of the National Pension System (NPS), even if their appointments were made after the cut-off date.

It comes before the recommendations of the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) and is expected to help thousands of employees who had been awaiting clarity on their pension status for years.

According to an order issued by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), employees appointed under the compassionate appointment scheme on or after January 1, 2004 - the date from which the OPS was discontinued for new recruits - will now be eligible for OPS benefits, provided they had applied for the job on or before December 31, 2003.

Date Of Application Crucial

The government said a proposal had been received seeking consideration of compassionate appointees for inclusion under the OPS by applying the principle laid down in a DoPPW Office Memorandum dated March 3, 2023. Following consultations with the Department of Expenditure and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), it was decided that the date of application for compassionate appointment would be treated as the determining factor.

“After inter-ministerial consultation and examination in consultation with the Department of Expenditure and DoPT, it has been decided that the date of application for compassionate appointment shall be considered as the crucial date, provided the applicants were eligible to be considered for appointment at the time of their application,” the order stated.

The order further clarified that family members eligible for compassionate appointment who had applied on or before December 31, 2003, would be covered under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021, effectively bringing them under the OPS framework.

All ministries and departments have been directed to implement the instructions in applicable compassionate appointment cases. In respect of employees of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, the order was issued after consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in accordance with Article 148(5) of the Constitution.

Move Welcomed

Welcoming the move, Manjeet Singh Patel, National President of the NPS Employees Federation, described the decision as a “partial success” in the long-standing campaign for restoration of pension benefits.

“Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all beneficiary employees. We express our gratitude to the Government of India for this decision,” Patel said.

He added that the order fulfils a long-pending demand of thousands of employees who had been waiting for years to be brought under the OPS. Patel, however, urged the government to go a step further and provide an option for guaranteed pension benefits to employees nearing retirement.

“The Pension Ministry has now issued orders to shift employees appointed under the deceased-dependent quota to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) if their applications were submitted on or before December 31, 2003. This resolves a long-standing issue affecting many families,” he said.

The decision is expected to provide financial security to eligible compassionate appointees and address a long-standing anomaly arising from delays between application and appointment dates.