by Asif Iqbal Naik
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Administration has initiated steps to implement Government Order No. 305-F of 2026, allowing eligible government employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) to opt for the Defined Pension Scheme, commonly known as the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), under the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations, 1956.
As part of the implementation process, the Directorate of School Education, Jammu (DSEJ), through its communication bearing number DSEJ/Acctts/2026-27/19194-205, dated October 13, 2026, has directed all Chief Education Officers (CEOs) across the Jammu division to process eligible cases within 14 days.
The provision is aimed at employees whose posts were advertised for recruitment before the introduction of the NPS in Jammu and Kashmir but who joined government service on or after January 1, 2010, owing to delays in the recruitment or selection process.
Under the prescribed eligibility criteria, the posts or vacancies against which employees were appointed must have been advertised or notified before December 24, 2009, when SRO-400 was issued introducing the NPS in Jammu and Kashmir. Employees appointed against such vacancies and subsequently covered under the NPS may exercise the option to shift to the Defined Pension Scheme, subject to fulfilment of the prescribed conditions.
The Finance Department’s order, issued on September 28, 2026, following Cabinet approval, provides a one-time opportunity to eligible employees to exercise their option on or before December 28, 2026. The decision, once exercised, will be final and irrevocable.
Employees seeking the switch will have to submit applications along with supporting documents, including copies of the original recruitment advertisement, appointment orders, Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) details and verified service books. The applications will be processed through the respective Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) and Head of Department (HOD) before being forwarded to the concerned Administrative Department for scrutiny, verification and issuance of individual orders.
The order also lays down the procedure for adjustment of pension contributions. The employee’s accumulated personal contribution under the NPS will be transferred to a newly opened General Provident Fund (GPF) account, with interest calculated in accordance with the applicable GPF rules. The government’s matching contribution and the applicable market-linked appreciation will be dealt with in accordance with the prescribed provisions.
Following the latest communication from the Directorate of School Education, Jammu, the concerned education authorities are required to identify eligible teaching and non-teaching employees and facilitate the processing of their cases within the stipulated timelines.
Eligible employees are advised to submit their prescribed option forms through their respective institutional heads, along with all required documents, well before the December 28 deadline.
The provision is expected to benefit employees who joined government service on or after January 1, 2010, against vacancies advertised before the introduction of the NPS, subject to the eligibility criteria and verification prescribed by the government.
