An opportunity has arisen for employees to opt out of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and transition to the old pension system (OPS), although this option is available only to a limited group of individuals. The state government has provided these workers with a choice between NPS and OPS.
The administration of Jammu and Kashmir offered this choice to certain civil servants. The transition from the National Pension System (NPS) to the old pension system (OPS) is a one-time decision. This benefit applies to employees whose positions or vacancies were advertised before the introduction of NPS in the autonomous region.
The Finance Department issued an official order on September 28, 2026, setting the deadline for eligible employees to make their selection as December 28, 2026. Once the decision is made and approved, it will be final, and returning to NPS will not be possible.
This choice is not available to all employees in Jammu and Kashmir under the NPS. It is specifically intended for those workers whose position or vacancy was advertised or notified before December 24, 2009, but whose actual appointment occurred on or after January 1, 2010.
These dates are significant because Jammu and Kashmir began the pension system through SRO-400 on December 24, 2009. This system applies to employees hired from January 1, 2010. This created a situation where some hiring procedures started under the old pension structure, while the appointments themselves took place after the introduction of NPS.
This decision was made following complaints from affected employees. They argued that the job advertisements for their positions were made before NPS came into effect, even though they started working in public service later.
The center also addressed similar issues in 2023. Through a memorandum from the Department of Pensions and Pensioners' Welfare dated March 3, 2023, a one-time choice was given to central government civil servants if their hiring was for positions or vacancies advertised or notified before the introduction of NPS, but they commenced work after its introduction.