Over 97,000 Central Govt Employees Shift to Old Pension Scheme, Reveals Data
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has released official data confirming that exactly 97,094 central government employees have migrated from the National Pension System (NPS) to the Old Pension Scheme (UPS) as of October 14, 2025.
The statistics were disclosed in response to an RTI query dated October 22, 2025, providing the first comprehensive department-wise breakdown of the pension scheme migration.
Department-Wise Migration Data:
According to the official figures, the migration pattern across major government departments shows:
· Civil Accounts Department: 38,569 employees
· Post Department: 18,303 employees
· Railways: 23,529 employees
· Defence Department: 11,144 employees
· Telecom Department: 349 employees.
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Total Subscribers and Migration Rate:
The RTI reply also confirmed that the total number of central government subscribers under NPS stands at 24,66,314 as of October 12, 2025. This means approximately 3.94% of all central government NPS subscribers have opted to switch back to the traditional pension scheme.
Background:
The migration to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), commonly known as the Old Pension Scheme, has been a significant development in government employment policies. The OPS provides employees with a guaranteed monthly pension equivalent to 50% of their last drawn salary, unlike the market-linked returns of the NPS.
The detailed department-wise data provides insights into which sectors are seeing the highest demand for reverting to the traditional pension system, with Civil Accounts and Railways departments leading the transition.
