CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021
Qualifying service, emoluments, the classes of pension, voluntary retirement, the ₹25 lakh gratuity ceiling, family pension and the retirement process.
THE BASICS
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021 |
| Notification | G.S.R. 868(E), dated 20 December 2021 |
| Made under | Proviso to Article 309 and clause (5) of Article 148 of the Constitution |
| Who was consulted | The Comptroller and Auditor-General, for persons in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department |
| In force from | The date of publication in the Official Gazette — 20 December 2021 |
| Replaces | The CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 |
| Size | 87 rules in 14 chapters |
| Department | Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) |
| Portal | Bhavishya — the online system for sanction and tracking of pension |
Who these rules apply to — Rule 2
Government servants appointed on or before 31 December 2003, including civilian Government servants in the Defence Services, appointed substantively to civil services and posts borne on pensionable establishments.
Who they do NOT apply to — Rule 2
| # | Excluded |
|---|---|
| (a) | Railway servants |
| (b) | Persons in casual and daily rated employment |
| (c) | Persons paid from contingencies |
| (d) | Persons entitled to a Contributory Provident Fund |
| (e) | Members of the All India Services |
| (f) | Persons locally recruited in Indian establishments abroad |
| (g) | Persons employed on contract, unless the contract provides otherwise |
| (h) | Persons whose service conditions are regulated by the Constitution or any other law |
Five cases where the rules STILL apply, even though they look excluded
- Someone put on induction training on or before 31.12.2003 followed by regular appointment after that date — if training was essential, carried a salary or stipend, and counted as qualifying service.
- Someone appointed on or before 31.12.2003 in a Central establishment with a different pension scheme, or in a State Government or autonomous body with a similar non-contributory scheme, later appointed to a covered Central post.
- Someone appointed after 31.12.2003, if a special or general order brings him in.
- Persons given temporary status on or before 31.12.2003 under the Casual Labourers Scheme, 1993, followed without interruption by regular appointment.
- NPS subscribers — for Invalid Pension (Rule 39) and Family Pension (Rule 50) on death or invalidation, if they opted for it under Rule 10 of the CCS (Implementation of NPS) Rules, 2021, or that is their default option.
Rule 4 — coming in from outside
A servant permanently transferred into a covered post becomes subject to these rules — but may elect within SIX MONTHS to stay with his old pension rules. The option, once exercised, is final.
The rest of this note
- WHAT THIS RULEBOOK IS, IN ONE SENTENCE
- THE BASICS
- GENERAL CONDITIONS (Rules 5–10)
- QUALIFYING SERVICE (Rules 11–30)
- EMOLUMENTS (Rules 31–32)
- THE CLASSES OF PENSION (Rules 33–41)
- PREMATURE AND VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT (Rules 42–43)
- HOW MUCH YOU GET (Rules 44–45)
- FAMILY PENSION (Rule 50)
- THE PROCESS, AND THE PORTAL
- QUICK REVISION
- LIKELY QUESTIONS