REGARDING SUPPLY OF ATM CARDS TO THE POST OFFICE SAVING BANK COUNTERS

REGARDING REVISION OF INTEREST RATES FOR SAVING BANK

 PIB (PRESS NEWS)

MINISTRY OF FINANCE

EXTENSION OF CUT-OFF DATE FOR EXERCISING OPTION UNDER UNIFIED PENSION SCHEME (UPS) BY THREE MONTHS I.E UPTO 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

Posted On: 23 JUN 2025 5:55PM by PIB Delhi

The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for eligible Central Government employees was notified by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, vide Notification No. F. No. FX-1/3/2024-PR dated 24^th January 2025.

To operationalise this framework, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) notified the PFRDA (Operationalisation of the Unified Pension Scheme under NPS) Regulations, 2025 on 19^th March 2025.

As per the regulations, eligible existing employees, past retirees, and the legally wedded spouses of deceased past retirees were given a period of three months i.e., upto 30^th June 2025 to exercise their option under the scheme.

In view of the representations received from various stakeholders requesting an extension of the cut-off date, the Government of India has decided to extend the cut-off date for exercising the option for UPS by three months i.e., upto 30^th September 2025 for eligible existing employees, past retirees, and the legally wedded spouses of deceased past retirees. NB/AD (Release ID: 2138960)

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एकीकृत पेंशन योजना (यूपीएस) के अंतर्गत विकल्प चुनने की अंतिम तिथि बढ़ाई गई

Posted On: 23 JUN 2025 5:55PM by PIB Delhi

केंद्र सरकार के पात्र कर्मचारियों के लिए एकीकृत पेंशन योजना (यूपीएस) को वित्त मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार द्वारा अधिसूचना सं. एफ. सं. एफएक्स-1/3/2024-पीआर दिनांक 24 जनवरी 2025 के माध्यम से अधिसूचित किया गया था।

इस ढांचे को क्रियान्वित करने के लिए, पेंशन निधि विनियामक और विकास प्राधिकरण (पीएफआरडीए) ने 19 मार्च 2025 को पीएफआरडीए (एनपीएस के तहत एकीकृत पेंशन योजना का क्रियान्वयन) विनियम, 2025 को अधिसूचित किया।

नियमों के अनुसार, मौजूदा पात्र कर्मचारियों, पूर्व सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों और मृतक पूर्व सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों के कानूनी रूप से विवाहित जीवनसाथियों को योजना के तहत अपना विकल्प चुनने के लिए तीन महीने यानी 30 जून 2025 तक की अवधि दी गई थी।

कट-ऑफ तिथि को आगे बढ़ाने के अनुरोध को लेकर विभिन्न हितधारकों से प्राप्त अभ्यावेदनों के मद्देनजर, भारत सरकार ने मौजूदा पात्र कर्मचारियों, पूर्व सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों और दिवंगत पूर्व सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों के कानूनी रूप से विवाहित जीवनसाथियों के लिए यूपीएस का विकल्प चुनने की कट-ऑफ तिथि को तीन महीने यानी 30 सितंबर 2025 तक बढ़ाने का फैसला किया है।

एमजी/केसी/एसकेएस/एसवी (Release ID: 2139004)

IMPLEMENTATION OF E-SERVICE BOOK IN ALL MINISTRIES/ DEPARTMENTS - REG. (CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW)

https://documents.doptcirculars.nic.in/D2/D02est/circular5RRCo.pdf

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e-F.No. Z-20025/02/2023-Estt.(AL)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension Department of Personnel & Training Block IV,

 

 Old JNU Campus,

New Delhi

dated 17.06.2025

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Implementation of e-Service Book in all Ministries! Departments— Reg.

The Service Book of a Government Servant is a document to record all the events in his! her entire service period and career recording each and every administrative action of the Government Servant right from the stage of his recruitment till his retirement to reflect the history of service of a Government employee. As per SR 198 & 199 such a Service Book is to be maintained for a Government servant from the date of his! her first appointment and is required to be kept in the custody of the Head of Office in which he is serving and needs to be transferred along with the employee, upon transfer.

2. It has now been decided to maintain the c-Service Book on e-HRMS 2.0 portal.

3. Hence all the Ministries! Departments, further to their onboarding on e-HRMS 2.0, are requested to maintain e-Service Books on e-HRMS 2.0 only and phase out physical service books, after ensuring the completeness & accuracy of data in the e-Service books on eHRMS 2.0, as the same will be treated legally tenable for all purposes.

 (D S Nag Deputy Secret. ''j L&A) 

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OPTIONS TO AVAIL BENEFITS UNDER OLD PENSION SCHEME ON DEATH OF GOVERNMENT SERVANT DURING SERVICE OR HIS DISCHARGE FROM GOVERNMENT SERVICE ON ACCOUNT OF INVALIDATION OR DISABILITY FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SERVANTS COVERED UNDER UNIFIED PENSION SCHEME (18/06/2025)

(CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW)

https://documents.doptcirculars.nic.in/D3/D03ppw/Revised%20NPS%20Rule%2010omr9eut.pdf

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No. 57/01/2025-P&PW(B)/UPS/10498

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, P.G. and Pensions

Department of Pension and Pensioners’

Welfare Lok Nayak Bhawan,

Khan Market, New Delhi, the 18 June, 2025

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

 Subject: Options to avail benefits under old pension scheme on death of Government servant during service or his discharge from Government service on account of invalidation or disability for Central Government servants covered under Unified Pension Scheme – reg. 

    The undersigned is directed to refer to the Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Service’s Notification No. FS-1/3/2023-PR dated 24.01.2025 regarding introduction of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) as an option under NPS for the recruits to the Central Government civil service w.e.f. 01.04.2025 giving one time option to the Central Government employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) for inclusion under the UPS.

2. The Department of Pension and Pensioner’ Welfare had notified the CCS (Implementation of National Pension System) Rules, 2021 to regulate service related matters of Central Government employees covered under NPS. Rule 10 of these rules provides for the option to be exercised by every Central Government employee covered under NPS for availing benefits under NPS or Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in the event of death of Government servant during service or his discharge on the ground of invalidation or disablement.

3. UPS has been notified as an option under the NPS. Therefore, it has been decided that the Central Government civil employees who opt for UPS under NPS shall also be eligible for option for availing benefits under UPS or the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 or the CSS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023 in the event of death of the Government servant during service or his discharge on the ground of invalidation or disablement.

 4. Every Central Government servant covered who opts for Unified Pension Scheme under the National Pension System shall, at the time of joining Government service, exercise an option in Form 1 for availing benefits under the UPS or under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 or the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023 in the event of his/her death or boarding out on account of disablement or retirement on invalidation. Existing Government servants, who have opted for the Unified Pension Scheme under the National Pension System, shall also exercise such option as soon as possible after the notification of these clarifications

5. The option shall be exercised to the Head of Office who will accept the same after verifying all the facts submitted therein and place it in the service book. A copy of the option shall be forwarded by the Head of Office to the Central Recordkeeping Agency through the Drawing and Disbursing Officer and the Pay and Accounts Officer for their record. The Pay and Accounts Officer shall also make suitable entry in the online system indicating the details regarding the option exercised by the Government servant.

 6. Every Government servant shall, along with the option in Form 1, also submit details of family in Form 2 to the Head of Office. The Head of Office shall, on receipt of the Form 2, acknowledge receipt of the Form 2 and all further communications received from the Government servant in this behalf, countersign it indicating the date of receipt and get it pasted on the service book of the Government servant concerned. The Head of Office on receipt of communication from the Government servant regarding any change in the size of family shall also incorporate such a change in Form 2.

7. The option exercised may be revised at any number of times by the Government servant before his retirement by making a fresh option intimating his revised option to the Head of Office. On receipt of the revised option, the Head of Office and the Pay and Accounts Officer shall take further action as mentioned above

8. A Government servant who is discharged on invalidation or disability shall be given an opportunity to submit a fresh option at the time of such discharge. Where such Government servant does not exercise a fresh option or is not in a position to exercise fresh option at the time of discharge, the option already exercised by the Government servant shall become operative. Where no option was exercised by the Government servant and the Government servant is not in a position to exercise an option at the time of discharge, his case will be regulated in accordance with para 11 below.

9. In the case of death of a Government servant while in service, the last option exercised by the deceased Government servant before his death shall be treated as final and the family shall have no right to revise the option.

10. Where a Government servant who did not exercise an option and dies before completion of service of fifteen years, his family will be granted family pension in accordance with the provisions of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 or the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023, as the case may be, as a default option.

11. Where a Government servant is discharged from Government service on account of invalidation or disability before completion of service of fifteen years without exercising an option, and is also not in a position to exercise an option at the time of discharge, he will be granted invalid pension or disability pension in accordance with the provisions of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 or the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023 as the case may be, as default option;

12. In all other cases, where no option was exercised by the Government servant, the claim of the Government servant on discharge from the service and that of the family on death of the Government servant, shall be regulated in accordance with the regulations to be framed in this regard.

13. In cases where the option exercised by the deceased Subscriber or the default option for benefit under the CCS (Pension) Rules or the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules becomes infructuous on account of non-availability of an eligible member of the family for grant of family pension under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 or the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023 such option would be deemed to have become invalid and the benefits admissible under the Unified Pension Scheme shall be granted in accordance with the regulations to be framed in this regard.

14. A Government servant, who had exercised option or in whose case the default option is for availing benefits under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 or CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023 on death of Government servant during service or his discharge from service on account of invalidation or disablement, as the case may be, further action will be taken by the Head of Office for disbursement of benefits in accordance with the provisions of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021. Where the death or disablement of the Government servant is attributable to Government service, further action will be taken by the Head of Office for disbursement of benefits in accordance with the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023 subject to fulfillment of all the conditions for grant of benefits under those rules.

15. If on death of the Government servant during service or his discharge from service on account of invalidation or disablement, benefits are payable under the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023 or the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, the Government contribution and returns thereon in the accumulated pension corpus of the Government servant shall be transferred to Government account. The remaining accumulated pension corpus shall be paid in lump sum in accordance with the regulations to be framed in this regard.

 16 In the case of death of a Government servant during service or his discharge from service on account of invalidation or disablement, who had exercised option or in whose case the default option is for availing benefits under the UPS, such benefits may be granted in accordance with the regulations to be framed in this regard.

 17. Copy of Form 1 and Form 2 are also enclosed.

18. This issues in consultation with of Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure vide ID Note No. 1(18)/EV/2024 ( part 2) dated 16.06.2025.

19. In so far as the persons serving in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are concerned, these orders are issued in consultation with Comptroller and Auditor General of India, as mandated under Article 148(5) of the Constitution of India.

 (Dhrubajyoti Sengupta)

Joint Secretary to the Government of India

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EXTENSION OF BENEFITS OF RETIREMENT GRATUITY AND DEATH GRATUITY TO THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES COVERED BY UNIFIED PENSION SCHEME - REG. (18/06/2025)

(CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW)

https://documents.doptcirculars.nic.in/D3/D03ppw/extensiont6n30.pdf

No. 57/01/2025-P&PW(B)/UPS/10498 

Government of India 

Ministry of Personnel, P.G. and Pensions

 Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare

 Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market, 

New Delhi, the 18 June, 2025 

OFFICЕ МЕМORANDUM

Subject: Extension of benefits of 'Retirement Gratuity and Death Gratuity' to the Central Government employees covered by Unified Pension Scheme - reg. 

The undersigned is directed to refer to the Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Service's Notification No. FS-1/3/2023-PR dated 24.01.2025 regarding introduction of the Unified Pension Scheme as an option under NPS for the recruits to the Central Government civil service w.e.f. 01.04.2025 giving one time option to the Central Government employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) for inclusion under the Unified Pension Scheme.

2. Accordingly, it is clarified that the Central Government employees covered by Unified Pension Scheme shall be eligible for benefit of 'Retirement gratuity and Death gratuity' under the provisions of the Central Civil Service (Payment of Gratuity under National Pension System) Rules, 2021.

3. This issues in consultation with of Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure vide ID Note No. 1(18)/EV/2024 dated 03.06.2025.

4. In so far as the persons serving in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are concerned, these orders are issued in consultation with Comptroller and Auditor General of India, as mandated under Article 148(5) of the Constitution of India.

(Dhrubajyoti Sengupta)

 Joint Secretary to the Government of India 

 PRESS NEWS

MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS

GOVT EMPLOYEES UNDER UNIFIED PENSION SCHEME TO GET GRATUITY BENEFITS: DR. JITENDRA SINGH

THE MOVE ADDRESSES A SIGNIFICANT DEMAND OF GOVERNMENT STAFF AND BRINGS PARITY IN RETIREMENT BENEFITS, NEW PROVISION REFLECTS THE GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO ENSURE SOCIAL SECURITY FOR ALL CATEGORIES OF EMPLOYEES UNDER THE NATIONAL PENSION SYSTEM, SAYS THE DOPT MINISTER

RULES RECAST, GOVERNANCE REIMAGINED: DR. JITENDRA SINGH CHARTS 11-YEAR TRANSFORMATION OF PERSONNEL MINISTRY

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE INDEPENDENCE, A GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN PRIDE IN DOING AWAY WITH REDUNDANT RULES RATHER THAN CREATING NEW ONES,” DR. JITENDRA SINGH SAID, CITING THE REPEAL OF OVER 1,600 OUTDATED PROVISIONS—MANY OF THEM COLONIAL-ERA LEGACIES

Posted On: 18 JUN 2025 4:21PM by PIB Delhi 

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh on Tuesday outlined the transformational journey of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions over the past 11 years, highlighting a series of reforms aimed at simplifying governance, empowering citizens, and humanizing administration.

On the occasion, the Minister also made the important announcement that Central government employees covered under the Unified Pension Scheme will now be eligible for retirement and death gratuity benefits, as per the provisions of the Central Civil Service (Payment of Gratuity under National Pension System) Rules, 2021.

Responding to this long-pending demand by a large section of government employees, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the move addresses a significant demand of government staff and brings parity in retirement benefits. He said, the new provision reflects the government’s commitment to ensure social security for all categories of employees under the National Pension System.

Speaking at a commemorative event at National Media Centre here, the Minister categorized the Ministry’s work into four major areas that reflected the changing face of governance under the Modi Government.

“For the first time since Independence, a government has taken pride in doing away with redundant rules rather than creating new ones,” Dr. Jitendra Singh said, citing the repeal of over 1,600 outdated provisions—many of them colonial-era legacies—as a strong message of trust in citizens, particularly India’s youth. The decision to make job interviews non-evaluative for certain categories, announced from the Red Fort by the Prime Minister and implemented nationwide by January 2016, was flagged as a key move towards fairness and transparency in recruitment.

Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored that several of the Ministry’s reforms went beyond administrative convenience and carried broader socio-cultural messages. Measures such as the amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act sought to balance accountability with protection for well-performing officials, while changes in how cases of unfair means in examinations are handled have been aimed at protecting students from the fallout of organized cheating rackets. “We are here to punish the racketeers, not the students,” the Minister said, emphasizing the government’s intent to move from suspicion to support in public policy. These changes, he said, helped build a new narrative for governance where intent is not presumed guilty and trust becomes a foundational value.

Human-centric reforms formed the third pillar of the Ministry’s efforts, with Dr. Jitendra Singh recounting how several changes were driven by direct experiences of insensitivity in existing rules. The introduction of the digital life certificate for pensioners, reforms in family pension norms to include divorced and separated daughters, and extending maternity leave to stillbirth cases were some of the examples he shared. “We combined human concern with technology to create solutions that respect the dignity of individuals,” he said, recalling how over 19,000 long-pending promotions were expedited to bring relief to officials who had served without timely career progression. These measures, he said, reflected an approach that viewed policy through the lens of empathy.

Highlighting innovation as the fourth key area, the Minister said that several governance reforms have been infused with out-of-the-box thinking and technological adaptability. The establishment of the Capacity Building Commission and rollout of the iGOT-Karmayogi platform were mentioned as game-changers in preparing civil servants for real-world challenges. The CPGRAMS grievance redressal portal, which now handles over 26 lakh complaints annually with a 95-96% disposal rate, was cited as a case of how citizen expectations have evolved in response to responsive governance. Initiatives like ‘Anubhav’, where retiring officers document their experiences for institutional memory, and the Assistant Secretary programme for IAS officers, were held up as efforts to build a knowledge-oriented, future-ready bureaucracy. “We have moved from red tape to real-time, from file-pushing to feedback-based policy,” Dr. Jitendra Singh concluded, noting that these reforms mark a significant shift in the governance ethos of New India.

During the press conference, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh also released a set of key publications and digital initiatives that reflect the Ministry’s continued focus on transparency, accountability, and service delivery. These included the 11-year achievement booklets of DoPT, DARPG, and DoPPW, offering a comprehensive overview of reforms and milestones across the three departments. The Minister also unveiled the Guidelines for the Special Campaign for Family Pensioners’ Grievances, a Compendium of Circulars covering the period from August 2024 to June 2025, and a set of circulars related to the Central Civil Services (Union Public Service) rules. In a move to strengthen capacity building within the system, Dr. Jitendra Singh virtually launched the Sevottam Training Modules, aimed at institutionalising excellence in public service delivery.

Adding to the overview, Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ms. Rachna Shah highlighted a series of structural reforms and inclusive governance initiatives undertaken over the last 11 years. Framed around the Prime Minister’s mantra of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,” she outlined measures such as the discontinuation of interviews for certain posts, faster recruitment timelines, digitalisation through platforms like e-HRMS and e-APAR, and the conduct of exams in multiple Indian languages. The National Recruitment Agency and Rojgar Melas were cited as transformative steps towards enhancing employment opportunities for youth, while 4.5 lakh backlog vacancies in reserved categories were addressed. Over 19,000 promotions in the Central Secretariat Service were fast-tracked to improve morale, and comprehensive guidelines were issued on matters such as maternity leave, child care, and disability reservation. Capacity building efforts under Mission Karmayogi have now onboarded over one crore government employees, fostering a culture of lifelong learning. Ms. Shah also stressed that DoPT’s focus on transparency and accountability was reinforced by digital RTI platforms and a modernised Central Administrative Tribunal that disposed of over 8.9 lakh cases, with enhanced use of virtual hearings and e-governance tools.

Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), Shri. V. Srinivas, outlined the far-reaching governance reforms and digital citizen services rolled out over the last 11 years, anchored in the Prime Minister’s vision of “Citizen First, Nation First.” He highlighted how CPGRAMS has evolved into one of the world’s largest AI-enabled multilingual grievance redressal platforms, handling over 26 lakh public grievances annually with response times cut to under 14 days. Public feedback from over 20 lakh citizens is now used to improve service delivery. Under his leadership, initiatives like Sushasan Saptah, Swachhata campaigns, National e-Governance Awards, and replication of e-office models across Northeastern states and Jammu & Kashmir have yielded visible impact. On the pensions front, over 4 crore pensioners have been digitally empowered through Digital Life Certificates and pre-retirement counselling. The popular Pension Adalats have resolved more than 25,000 cases directly, and efforts like integrated pension forms and simplification of CCS Rules reflect a commitment to ease of living for retirees. Mr. Srinivas also pointed to India’s growing international collaboration on good governance, including MOUs signed during high-level bilateral engagements and a globally recognised presence at public administration forums.

Also present on the dais were senior officers from the three departments under the Ministry, including Ms. Manisha Saxena, Establishment Officer, DoPT; Shri. A.P. Das Joshi, Additional Secretary, DoPT; Shri. Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Additional Secretary, DoPT and Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, DARPG. The event saw the participation of all senior officers from the Department of Personnel and Training, the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare, and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, reflecting a unified administrative presence in marking the Ministry’s eleven-year journey of reforms and innovations.

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NKR/PSM (Release ID: 2137269)