Questions & Answers: Related to the New Pension Scheme (NPS)

1. Whether a retiring Government servant is entitled for leave encashment after retirement under the NPS?
The benefit of encashment of leave salary is not a part of the retirement benefits admissible under Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972. It is payable in terms of CCS (Leave) Rules which will continue to be applicable to the government servants who join the government service on after 1-1-2004. Therefore, the benefit of encashment of leave salary payable to the governments/to their families on account of retirement/death will be admissible.
2. Why is it mandatory to use 40% of pension wealth to purchase the annuity at the time of the exit (i.e. after the age of 60 years) from NPS?
This provision has been made in the New Pension Scheme with an intention that the retired government servants should get regular monthly income during their retired life.
3. Whether any minimum age or minimum service is required to quit from Tier-I?
Exit from Tier-I can only take place when an individual leaves Government service.
4. Whether Dearness Pay is counted as basic pay for recovery of 10% for Tier-I?
As per the New Pension Scheme, the total Dearness Allowance is to be taken into account for working out the contributions to Tier-I. Subsequently, a part of the “Dearness Allowance” has been treated as Dearness Pay. Therefore, this should also be reckoned for the purpose of contributions.
5. Whether contribution towards Tier-I from arrears of DA is to be deducted?
Yes. Since the contribution is to be worked out at 10% of (Pay + DP + DA), it needs to be revised whenever there is any change in these elements
6. Who will calculate the interest PAO or Central Pension Accounting office(CPAO)?
The PAO should calculate the interest.
7. What happens if an employee gets transferred during the month? Which office will make deduction of Contribution?
As in the case of other recoveries, the recovery of contributions towards New Pension Scheme for the full month(both individual and government) will be made by the office who will draw salary for the maximum period.
8. Whether NPA payable to medical officers will count towards ‘Pay’ for the purpose of working out contributions to NPS?
Yes. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has clarified vide their O.M. no. A45012/11/97-CHS.V dated 7-4-98 that the Non-Practising Allowance shall countas ‘pay’ for all service benefits. Therefore, this will be taken into account for working out the contribution towards the New Pension Scheme.
9. Whether a government servant who was already in service prior to 1.1.2004, if appointed in a different post under the Government of India, will be governed by the CCS (Pension) Rules or NPS?
In cases where Government servants apply for posts in the same or other departments and on selection they are asked to render technical resignation, the past services are counted towards pension under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972. Since the Government servant had originally joined government service prior to 1-1-2004, he should be covered under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972.
10.Procedure for allotment of Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN):-
Immediately on joining Govt. service, the Govt. servant will be required to provide particulars such as his name, designation, scale of pay, date of birth, nominee(s) for the fund, relationship of the nominee etc. in the prescribed for (Annexure I).
The DDO concerned will be responsible for obtaining this information from all Govt. servants covered under the New Pension Scheme.
The PAO concerned will allot a unique 16 digit Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN). The first four digits of this number will indicate the calendar year of joining Govt. service, the next digit indicates whether it is a Civil or a Non-civil Ministry, the next six digits would represent the PAO Code (which is used for the purpose of compiling monthly accounts), the last five digits will be the running serial number of the individual govt.
servant which will be allotted by the PAO concerned. PAO will allot the serial number pertaining to individual Govt. servants from 00001 running from January to December of a calendar year. A register will be maintained for allotment of PRAN to ensure that PRAN are allotted in sequence and there is no duplication of PRAN.
For the flow of information from Non Civil Ministries/Departments to the CPAO, each of them will nominate a Nodal Office, which will be responsible for forwarding the consolidated information/particulars in respect of their Ministry/Departments and for correspondence with CPAO.
The particulars of the Govt. servants received from the various DDOs will be consolidated by the Nodal Office identified in each Ministry/Department/Office and sent to the CPAO. The CPAO will keep this information in their computer database.
The accounting heads involved in the operation of the new pension scheme will be intimated in due course.
The first salary bill of the new entrant will be passed after ensuring that the Annexure-I is received.
Tier1 amount equal to 10% of the (basic+da+npa) will be deducted from the payBill and a matching contribution will also be credited to the individuals credit.
Separate paybill should be prepared for the individuals who are covered under this scheme. The schedule information is to be captured in the Annexure-II, which should be carefully checked. The data file of annexure-I and annexure-II will be created and forwarded to CPAO on monthly basis. CPAO on receipt of this information will update its database and generate exception reports for missing credits, mismatches etc.
No withdrawal of any amount will be allowed during the interim arrangements.
At the end of each financial year the CPAO will prepare annual accounts statements for each employee showing opening balance, details of monthly deduction and Govt.’s matching contribution, interest earned, if any, and the closing balance. CPAO will send these statements to Nodal Office concerned.
After the close of each financial year, CPAO will have to report the details of the balances (PAO-wise) to each PAO for the purpose of reconciliation. The PAO will reconcile the figures of contributions with figures as per the books of CPAO.