JUNE 18: In a landmark announcement, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh confirmed that Central government employees under the Unified Pension Scheme will now be eligible for retirement and death gratuity benefits. This addresses a long-standing demand and ensures parity in retirement benefits across government staff. The benefits will be extended under the Central Civil Service (Payment of Gratuity under National Pension System) Rules, 2021, marking a significant enhancement in social security for employees under the NPS.
Speaking at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, Dr. Singh detailed the 11-year reform journey of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. He outlined four pillars of transformation: simplification of governance, socio-cultural impact, human-centric policy reform, and innovation through technology.
The Minister highlighted the historic repeal of over 1,600 outdated rules—many from the colonial era—as a shift toward trust-based governance. “This is the first government to take pride in abolishing redundant rules rather than adding new ones,” he said. He also underscored reforms like ending interviews for non-gazetted posts, aligning with Prime Minister Modi’s emphasis on transparency and fairness in recruitment.
Several reforms aimed at empathy-driven governance were mentioned, such as digital life certificates for pensioners, inclusion of divorced daughters in family pension eligibility, and maternity leave extension for stillbirths. “Policy must reflect compassion,” Dr. Singh emphasized, citing the fast-tracking of 19,000 pending promotions.
On innovation, initiatives like Mission Karmayogi, iGOT-Karmayogi, CPGRAMS, and the Assistant Secretary programme were cited as tools to modernize bureaucracy and service delivery. CPGRAMS now resolves over 26 lakh grievances a year, with 95-96% resolution rates, reflecting heightened citizen expectations and accountability.
Secretary Rachna Shah and Shri V. Srinivas elaborated on capacity-building initiatives, digital RTI platforms, and pension reforms benefiting over four crore retirees. International partnerships in governance and bilateral MOUs were also noted.
Dr. Singh concluded by asserting that these reforms represent a “paradigm shift from red tape to real-time governance,” reaffirming the government’s commitment to “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.”
