This is a massive financial and political development for nearly 80 lakh EPS pensioners. The government has essentially put a financial freeze on demands for higher benefits.
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Here is the raw breakdown of the Minister’s reply in the Lok Sabha:
EPS-95 Pension Hike Unlikely: Fund Under ‘Actuarial Deficit’ Stress
The government just shut down the pensioners’ long-standing demand for raising the minimum pension from ₹1,000 to ₹7,500—at least for the near future. MP Balya Mama Suresh Gopinath Mhatre asked the question. The Minister gave the answer.
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The Financial Reality (Why No Hike)
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Actuarial Deficit: Minister Karandlaje confirmed the fund is under “actuarial stress.” The valuation as of March 31, 2019, shows an actual deficit. It happened. And because of that deficit, the government cannot enhance pension benefits right now.
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The Structure: She clarified the EPS-95 is a “defined contribution-defined benefit” scheme. All benefits are paid only from two sources:
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Employer contribution (8.33% of wages).
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Central Government contribution (1.16% of wages, capped at ₹15,000 wage ceiling).
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The Stagnation: This structure, combined with the deficit, explains why the minimum pension is stuck at ₹1,000 and why Dearness Allowance (DA) is not extended, even though inflation keeps rising. The pension amount is officially considered insufficient for a dignified life, but the fund status restricts revision.
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The Higher Pension Processing (The Good News)
On a separate, but related, note, the massive job of processing applications for higher pensions (following the Supreme Court’s 2022 order) is virtually complete. The EPFO had to deliver, and they did.
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Completion Rate: Nearly 99% of all applications received from pensioners and members have been disposed of by the EPFO. A time-bound job.
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The PPO Tally: Of the eligible retirees, 1,24,457 revised Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) have been issued. Another 12,572 PPOs are in the final stages of approval.
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The Ineligible: About 34,060 cases were deemed ineligible, mostly because the applicants failed to remit the required contribution amount.
The government maintains it is committed to ensuring benefits, taking the fund’s “health” into account. But with the deficit now officially confirmed in Parliament, a major minimum pension hike remains a distant, ongoing demand.
End . . .
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