The central government has taken a big and important step regarding the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Under this scheme, the government has decided to give a one-time option to all India Service Personnel to avail the benefits of the old pension scheme.

However, it has also put some conditions for this. The Centre has said that those IAS, IPS and IFS officers who were appointed before the cut-off date for notification of the National Pension System (NPS), that is December 22, 2003, can choose OPS.

Notably, this step taken by the Centre in this regard has come in continuation of the decisions taken by various courts. The Centre said it has received representations from officers of All India Services – AIS, IAS, IPS, IFS – in this regard.

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Several court judgments called for allowing the benefits of OPS to government servants appointed on or after January 1, 2004.

“The matter has been examined in consultation with the Department of Expenditure and it has been decided that the AIS officers, who have been appointed against a post/vacancy which was advertised/notified for recruitment prior to the date of notification of NPS (i.e. 22.12.2003) and who are covered under NPS on joining service on or after 01.01.2004, may be granted a one-time option to be covered under the provisions of old pension scheme…,” said the order issued by the Personnel Ministry.

Hence, All India Services officers appointed via the Civil Services Examination in 2003 and 2004, as well as the Indian Forest Service examination in 2003, are considered qualified to benefit from these regulations, as stated.

“This option may be exercised by the concerned members of service latest by 30th November 2023,” said the order issued on Thursday.

The order also said that the government employees who are eligible to go back to OPS as per the instructions but do not exercise the option by the deadline will continue to be covered in the National Pension System (NPS). The option once exercised shall be final and the officers cannot change it afterwards, the order stated.