NNPSGSEF, Chümoukedima Unit on August 12 organised an NPS sensitisation programme at the DC’s Conference Hall, bringing together government employees from across the district in a united call for pension justice.
Calls for restoration of OPS
CHÜMOUKEDIMA, AUGUST 14 (MExN): The Nagaland National Pension System Government Service Employees Forum (NNPSGSEF), Chümoukedima Unit, on August 12 organised an NPS sensitisation programme at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall, bringing together government employees from across the district in a united call for pension justice.
The programme was chaired by Chumtila Sangtam, General Secretary of the unit, and opened with a presidential address by Kekhrielenuo Pienyii, who urged employees to remain informed, vigilant and united in safeguarding their future.
In the first technical session, NNPSGSEF Central Team Finance Secretary Adabe Namgi gave an in-depth presentation on the National Pension System (NPS). This was followed by a detailed deliberation by Central Team President Avizo Nienu on the NPS, Unified Pension System (UPS) and Old Pension Scheme (OPS), outlining their structures, benefits and shortcomings.
Key points discussed included:
National Pension System (NPS): A contributory, market-linked scheme for employees joining service on or after January 1, 2004, with contributions from both the employee and government. The final pension depends on market performance, offering no guaranteed monthly income or inflation protection, raising concerns of financial insecurity.
Unified Pension System (UPS): A proposed hybrid combining NPS and OPS elements, with an assured minimum pension alongside partial market investment. Still under policy debate in several states, its long-term sustainability remains uncertain.
Old Pension Scheme (OPS): A non-contributory, government-funded scheme in place before 2004, guaranteeing 50 per cent of last drawn basic pay plus DA as lifelong pension. Fully market-risk protected, inflation-indexed, and periodically revised, OPS is regarded by employees as the most stable and dignified retirement option.
Nienu stressed that while NPS shifts financial risk onto employees, OPS ensures lifelong stability and dignity. UPS, though a middle-ground proposal, cannot match OPS in proven reliability.
Information Secretary Sherhinlo Keppen urged employees to stand “shoulder to shoulder” in advocating for pension rights and to spread awareness to strengthen the movement.
The programme concluded with the distribution of the Forum’s charter and undertaking, symbolising participants’ collective commitment. Representatives from various departments of Chümoukedima district pledged full support to the NNPSGSEF movement to scrap NPS and restore OPS in Nagaland- a campaign the Forum describes as rooted in fairness, security and the dignity of public service.
