New Delhi: The Centre has notified rules governing service matters and benefits under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for its employees, an official statement said on Thursday.
The Central Civil Services (Implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme under the National Pension System) Rules, 2025 outline provisions for enrolment in UPS and the option to switch from UPS to NPS one year before retirement or three months prior to voluntary retirement.
“These rules regulate service matters and benefits for central government employees opting for UPS under the NPS,” the Personnel Ministry said. They also cover employee and government contributions, compensation for delayed registration and credit of contributions to the NPS account, and options for benefits under the CCS (Pension) Rules or UPS regulations in case of death or disability during service.
The rules address benefits payable upon superannuation, premature retirement, voluntary retirement, absorption into autonomous bodies or PSUs, invalidation, resignation, and the effects of compulsory retirement, dismissal, or removal from service.
Manjeet Singh Patel, national president of the All India NPS Employees Federation, welcomed the notification, highlighting that the provision allowing retirement after 20 years of regular service—down from 25—marks a historic milestone in employee welfare. “This was a much-needed amendment to UPS since the scheme’s launch,” he said.
The Union Cabinet had approved the introduction of UPS on August 24 last year, and the Department of Financial Services notified it on January 24, 2025, under the NPS. The scheme became operational from April 1, 2025. Subsequently, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) issued the PFRDA (Operationalisation of Unified Pension Scheme under National Pension System) Regulations, 2025 on March 19, 2025.
