The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) on January 24th 2025 has published the preliminary draft of the PFRDA (Unified Pension Scheme) Regulations, 2025, and is seeking comments and feedback from stakeholders and the public. The Unified Pension Scheme aims to provide an additional option under the National Pension System (NPS) for Central Government employees.
The draft regulations aim to define the framework for operationalizing the scheme and set clear guidelines for the roles and responsibilities of the intermediaries and Central Government offices involved in the implementation. This initiative intends to enhance the pension system for existing employees covered under NPS, new recruits, and retired or deceased employees’ families.
The proposal is open for public consultation until 17th February 2025. Stakeholders are encouraged to review the draft regulations and share their comments in the specified format. These can be sent to the email address reviewreg@pfrda.org.in, with the subject line ‘Feedback on PFRDA (Unified Pension Scheme) Regulations, 2025.
Key Highlights of the Proposed Regulations:
Eligibility:
- Existing Employees (as of 31st March 2025) covered under NPS.
- New Recruits in Central Government services after 1st April 2025, who may choose either NPS or UPS.
- Retired/Deceased Employees and their families eligible to opt for UPS if they were previously covered under NPS.
Scheme Benefits:
- The Unified Pension Scheme offers benefits upon superannuation after a qualifying service of 10 years, retirement under Fundamental Rule 56(j), or voluntary retirement after 25 years of service.
- Benefits are not applicable in cases of removal, dismissal, or resignation from service.
Exercise of Option:
- Eligible employees must exercise their option to avail of the UPS benefits by the date specified by the Central Government. Once exercised, the option is final and irrevocable.
Form Submissions:
- Various forms have been outlined to facilitate the process for opting between NPS and UPS, along with forms for retiring employees and spouses of deceased employees to claim benefits.
The full draft and further details are available on the PFRDA website under the Exposure Draft section of the Regulatory Framework menu.
| Form | Description |
| Form A1 | Option to avail benefits of National Pension System (NPS) or Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for Government employees joining services on and after 01.04.2025. |
| Form A2 | Option to shift from National Pension System (NPS) to Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for existing Government employees under NPS. |
| Form B1 | Particulars to be obtained from the retiring/retired Government employee covered under UPS. |
| Form B2 | Particulars to be obtained from the spouse of the deceased government servant (superannuated/retired) and eligible to claim benefits under UPS. |
| Form C1 | UPS Payment Order (UPO) to be issued by PAO on the basis of verification of details by HOO for the retiring/retired Government employee covered under UPS. |
| Form C2 | UPS Payment Order to be issued by PAO on the basis of verification of details by HOO for the spouse of deceased Government employee eligible to claim benefits under UPS. |
| Form D | Particulars of the legally wedded spouse of the Government servant covered under UPS. |
| Form E | Life Certificate for the government employee covered under UPS. |
Public participation and feedback are vital to shaping the success of this scheme, and interested individuals are encouraged to take part in this consultation process before the deadline of 17th February 2025.
