J&K Govt opens one-time OPS window for pre-NPS recruitment cases
SRINAGAR, SEPT 28: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has opened a one-time window for a specific category of employees recruited against vacancies notified before the introduction of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) to opt for coverage under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
The Finance Department issued Government Order No. 305-F of 2026 on September 28 following the Council of Ministers’ approval of the proposal on September 10.
Under the order, the option is available to employees whose posts or vacancies were advertised or notified before December 24, 2009, when the NPS was notified through SRO-400, but who joined government service on or after January 1, 2010 and were subsequently covered under the NPS.
Eligible employees have been given three months from the date of the government order to exercise the option. The prescribed form mentions December 28, 2026 as the deadline for submitting applications through the proper channel.
The government has clarified that the option, once exercised, will be final. Those eligible employees who do not exercise the option within the prescribed period will continue under the NPS.
Employees seeking the benefit will have to submit the prescribed form to their Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) along with supporting records. These include the recruitment advertisement or notification, selection list, appointment order, PRAN card and service book, besides details such as CPIS and PRAN numbers, date of joining, department, post and present place of posting.
Once OPS coverage is approved, the employee’s NPS account will be closed from the first day of the month following the month in which the relevant order is issued. The employee will thereafter become eligible to subscribe to the General Provident Fund (GPF).
The order also provides for adjustment of the accumulated NPS balance, including employee and government contributions and investment appreciation, in accordance with the prescribed mechanism.
The concerned administrative departments have been directed to complete the process, including exercise of option and closure of NPS accounts, within 120 days from the date of issuance of the order.
The Finance Department said the decision followed representations from government employees and consideration of the matter in light of instructions issued by the Government of India in similar cases.
