Just 4% of central staff opt for assured pension

DESPITE THE GOVERNMENT'S efforts to sweeten the guaranteed Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) and twice extending the deadline for central government employees to shift from the market-linked National Pension System (NPS), uptake remains low.

- PRASANTA SAHU

Only alittle more than 1,00,000 employees—about 4% of the 2.5 million eligible—have opted for the UPS so far. The tepid response highlights the challenge of convincing staff to move to the new scheme, launched amid high expectations and pressure from some quarters for a guaranteed pension.