Fact check: Is Centre doing away with NPS?

New Delhi, Jun 2: A WhatsApp message doing rounds claimed that the Cabinet Committee meeting was held on May 29 to do away with the New Pension Scheme and there was a unanimous decision on going back to the old pension scheme.

"A Cabinet Committee meeting was held on 29/5.22 to do away with the NPS (new pension scheme) and bring all state/central govt employees under the old pension scheme. There was a unanimous decision to ensure steady pension to all employees as a welfare measure," the message read.

The message also claimed that the Finance Ministry assured that sufficient budget provisions are available to give pension to all employees and including all personnel appointed in 2004 and afterwards.

"It is requested that the all departments under the central and state governments to kindly work out the additional burden to the exchequer and sent it to DoP&T with a copy to MoF before 25th August, so that this can be implemented by March 2023," the message added.

However, the Press Information Bureau has clarified that no such meeting had taken place and it is a "fake" message. No such decision or proposal is under consideration by the Government of India.

National Pension System Trust (NPS Trust) is a specialised division of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance of the Government of India.

The National Pension System (NPS) is a voluntary defined contribution pension system in India.
The Centre told in March that there is no proposal to reintroduce old pension scheme to Central Government civil employees joined on or after 01.01.2004 under consideration of the Government of India.

However, Chattishgarh is the first state in India to restore the old pension scheme, which gives 50 per cent of the employee's salary as pension.