Good news regarding the Old Pension Scheme: This state government has issued an order allowing government employees to switch to it..

There is significant news for government employees regarding the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Amidst growing demands across various states, another state government has acceded to employees' major demand concerning the old pension scheme. Following the lead of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jharkhand, another state in South India may now see the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. Specifically, the Andhra Pradesh government has issued an order granting government employees a one-time option to switch to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Which employees will get the chance to choose OPS?
The Andhra Pradesh state government has issued an order providing a one-time option to join the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees currently under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), provided the recruitment notification or advertisement for their posts was issued prior to September 1, 2004. This applies even if they actually joined government service on or after September 1, 2004. It is worth noting that government employees who joined service after September 1, 2004, generally fall under the ambit of the NPS.

AINPSEF demands OPS for all employees
The 'All India NPS Employees Federation' (AINPSEF) has welcomed the order granting the option to choose the Old Pension Scheme to these employees in Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Manjeet Patel, the Federation's National President, said, "Heartiest congratulations to the NPS employees of Andhra Pradesh on this victory for the Old Pension Scheme (#OPS)." He added, "This decision by the Andhra Pradesh government is highly welcome and just; it offers an opportunity to return to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for those employees whose recruitment notification was issued before September 1, 2004."

The 'All India NPS Employees Federation' (AINPSEF) has also made a humble appeal to the Andhra Pradesh government, urging that this measure of justice should not be limited to only a select few employees. The Old Pension Scheme (OPS) should be fully restored for all NPS employees in the state. Furthermore, hybrid models—such as the Guaranteed Pension Scheme (GPS)—should be withdrawn in favor of the full implementation of the OPS. Employees are entitled to a secure, assured, and dignified old pension, rather than a contributory or hybrid pension scheme.

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