Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that the central government is not considering any changes to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).
The UPS was introduced under the National Pension System on April 1, 2025. Central government employees can opt to join it voluntarily.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha to a question raised regarding the scheme, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “The central government is not currently considering any changes to the UPS.
As of July 19, 2026, a total of 1.18 lakh people, including newly joined employees, current employees, and retirees, have chosen the UPS.
Earlier, in response to the demands of central government employees, the deadline for choosing UPS was extended until November 30, 2025. Central government employees who choose UPS will be provided retirement gratuity and death gratuity under the Central Civil Services (Payment of Gratuity under the National Pension System) Rules, 2021.
In addition, if an employee dies or suffers injury to any part of the body due to an unexpected accident while on duty, the benefits under the Central Civil Services (Special Pension) Rules, 2023 will also be provided to central government employees. They will also be given tax benefits,’ it was stated.
