SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has allowed eligible District Judiciary employees appointed against posts advertised or notified before the introduction of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) to exercise a one-time option to switch to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
The decision follows the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s Order No. 305-F of 2026, dated September 28, issued by the Finance Department. The High Court’s Chief Justice’s Secretariat issued directions for implementing the provision among eligible judicial staff currently covered by the NPS.
Under the order, employees appointed on or after January 1, 2010, against vacancies advertised or notified before the introduction of the NPS through SRO-400 dated December 24, 2009, may seek coverage under the OPS, subject to verification of their eligibility.
Eligible employees must submit the prescribed option form, along with supporting documents, to their respective Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) or Presiding Officer through the proper channel. The form requires details including the employee’s service record, date of appointment, advertisement notification, selection list, appointment order and Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN).
The order sets October 30, 2026, as the deadline for exercising the option. Employees who fail to submit their applications within the stipulated period will continue under the NPS.
After receiving the applications, the concerned DDOs or Presiding Officers must verify and certify the documents, compile a list of employees seeking the switch and forward the cases through the respective Principal District and Sessions Judges to the Chief Justice’s Secretariat by November 12, 2026.
The relevant district authorities have also been directed to prepare consolidated lists of eligible employees who have exercised the option to facilitate cross-verification.
The Chief Justice’s Secretariat will scrutinise each application to determine eligibility under the Government’s order and issue appropriate decisions. Once approval is granted, the concerned DDO or Presiding Officer will initiate the process for closure of the employee’s NPS account through the respective Treasury Officer and take any further action required under the Government’s instructions.
The NPS was introduced in Jammu and Kashmir through SRO-400 dated December 24, 2009, replacing the defined-benefit OPS for government employees appointed or brought on the regular establishment on or after January 1, 2010. The scheme was also made applicable to District Judiciary staff under Rule 14 of the Jammu and Kashmir Ministerial and Other Staff of the Subordinate Courts (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2016.
