The deadline to apply for CCS Pension coverage rather than NPS is extended

The deadline for Central government employees to elect to be covered by the CCS Pension Rules 1972 instead of the National Pension System (NPS) has been extended. The latest deadline has been set for May 31, 2021. This will refer to employees who were employed after January 1, 2004, but were hired before January 1, 2004. Previously, the Government of India's Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare released an Office Memorandum (OM) enabling affected Central government employees to choose the old pension scheme (OPS) rather than National Pension System (NPS). The Office Memorandum set deadlines for different tasks such as exercising options, settling on representations by nominating authorities and closing the NPS accounts of affected government employees. Due to the country's wide lockdown following the spread of the COVID-19 -19 pandemic and requests for extensions from some Ministries and Departments, the government has agreed to extend the cut-off dates as follows:

Option exercised by a government employee for coverage under the old pension scheme

• 31.05.2020 is the last date listed in the OM dated February 17, 2020.
• Extended date: 31.05.2021

Evaluation and settlement on the representation by the appointing authority

• The last date mentioned in the OM dated February 17, 2020 is 30.09.2020.
• Extended date: 30.09.2021

Closure of government employees' NPS accounts upon approval of their option

• The last date mentioned in the OM dated February 17, 2020 is 01.11.2020.
• Extended date: 01.11.2021

Following the implementation of the National Pension System (NPS), all Government employees hired on or after January 1, 2004, to posts in the Central Government service (except the armed forces) are required to participate in the NPS. The Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, and other related rules were also revised and were no longer applicable to government employees hired after December 31, 2003. Such Government workers who were deemed successful for induction in the results reported on or before 31.12.2003 against vacancies arising before 01.01.2004 and are classified under the National Pension System on attending duty on or after 01.01.2004 are provided with a one-time opportunity to be bounded under the CCS(Pension) Rules, 1972.