Unified Pension Scheme: RBE No.76/2025 – Benefits under OPS on Death/ Invalidation

No.F(E)IIl/2025/UPS/1, dated 29.07.2025

Sub: Option to avail benefits under Old Pension Scheme on death of Railway servant during service or his discharge from Railway service on account of invalidation or disability for Railway Servants covered under Unified Pension Scheme – reg.

1. Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services vide Notification No.FX-1/3/2024-PR, dated 24^th January, 2025 has introduced Unified Pension Scheme as an option under National Pension System for the recruits to the Central Government Civil Services with effect from 01.01.2025 giving one time option to the Central Government employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) for inclusion under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). The same has been adopted on Railways vide Board’s letter of even number dated 18.03.2025 (RBE No.22/2025).

2. UPS has been notified as an option under the NPS. Therefore, it has been decided that the Railway employees who opt for UPS under NPS shall also be eligible for option for availing benefits under UPS or the Railway Services (Pension) Rules, or the Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1993 in the event of death of the Railway servant during service or his discharge on the ground invalidation or disablement.

3. Every Railway servant covered under the National Pension System who opts for Unified Pension Scheme shall, at the time of joining railway service, exercise an option in Form-1 for availing benefits under the UPS or under the Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993 or the Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1993 in the event of his/her death or boarding out on account of disablement or retirement on invalidation. Existing Railway Servants, who have opted for the Unified Pension Scheme under the National Pension System, shall also exercise such option as soon as possible after the notification of these clarifications.

4. The option shall be exercised to the Head of Office who will accept the same after verifying all the facts submitted therein and place it in the service book. A copy of the option shall be forwarded by the Head of Office to the Central Record keeping Agency through the Drawing and Disbursing Officer and the Pay and Accounts Officer for their record. The Pay and Accounts Officer shall also make suitable entry in the online system indicating the details regarding the option exercised by the Railway servant.

5. Every Railway servant shall, along with the option in Form-1, also submit details of family in Form-2 to the Head of Office. The Head of Office shall, on receipt of the Form-2, acknowledge receipt of the Form-2 and all further communications received from the Railway servant in this behalf, countersign it indicating the date of receipt and get it pasted on the service book of the Railway servant concerned. The Head of Office on receipt of communication from the Railway servant regarding any change in the size of family shall also incorporate such a change in Form-2.

6. The option exercised may be revised at any number of times by the Railway servant before his retirement by making a fresh option intimating his revised option to the Head of Office. On receipt of the revised option, the Head of Office and the Pay and Accounts Officer shall take further action as mentioned above.

7. A Railway servant who is discharged on invalidation or disability shall be given an opportunity to submit a fresh option at the time of such discharge. Where such Railway servant does not exercise a fresh option or is not in a position to exercise fresh option at the time of discharge, the option already exercised by the Railway servant shall become operative. Where no option was exercised by the Railway servant and the Railway servant is not in a position to exercise an option at the time of discharge, his case will be regulated in accordance with para 10 below.

8. In the case of death of a Railway servant while in service, the last option exercised by the deceased Railway servant before his death shall be treated as final and the family shall have no right to revise the option.

9. Where a Railway servant who did not exercise an option and dies before completion of service of fifteen years, his family will be granted family pension accordance with the provisions of the Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993 or Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1993, as the case may be, as default option.

10. Where a Railway servant is discharged from Railway service on account of invalidation or disability before completion of service of fifteen years without exercising an option, and is also not in a position to exercise an option at the time of discharge, he will be granted invalid pension or disability pension in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993 or the Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1993 as the case may be, as default option.

11. In all other cases, where no option was exercised by the Railway servant, the claim death of the Railway servant on discharge from the service and that of the family on death of the Railway servant shall be regulated in accordance with the regulations to be framed in this regard.

12. In cases where the option exercised by the deceased Subscriber or the default option for benefit under the Railway Services (Pension) Rules or the Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules becomes infructuous on account of non-availability of an  eligible member of the family for grant of family pension under the Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993 or the Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1993 such option would be deemed to have become invalid and the benefits admissible under the Unified Pension Scheme shall be granted in accordance with the regulations to be framed in this regard.

13. A Railway servant, who had exercised option or in whose case the default option is for availing benefits under the Railway Services (Pension) Rules,1993 or Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1993 on death of Railway servant during service or his discharge from service on account of invalidation or disablement, as the case may be, further action will be taken by the Head of Office for disbursement of benefits in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993. Where the death or disablement of the Railway servant is attributable to Railway service, further action will be taken by the Head of Office for disbursement of benefits in accordance with the Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1993 subject to fulfillment of all the conditions for grant of benefits under those rules.

14. If on death of the Railway servant during service or his discharge from service on account, of invalidation or disablement, benefits are payable under the Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1993 or the Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993, the Government contribution and returns thereon in the accumulated pension corpus of the Railway servant shall be transferred to Government account. The remaining accumulated pension corpus shall be paid in lump sum in accordance with the regulations to be framed in this regard.

15. In the case of death of a Railway servant during service or his discharge from service on account of invalidation or disablement, who had exercised option, or in whose case the default option is for availing benefits under the UPS, such benefits may be granted in accordance with the regulations to be framed in this regard.

16. Copy of Form-1 and Form-2 are also enclosed.

FORM-1

OPTION TO AVAIL BENEFITS IN CASE OF DEATH OR DISCHARGE ON INVALIDATION OR DISABILITY OF RAILWAY SERVANT/ SUBSCRIBER DURING SERVICE

I, ……………………………………………………..here by exercise option that in the event of my discharge from service on the account of disability or retirement from service on account of invalidation or Death during service, benefits under Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993 or Railway Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1993 as the case may be, may be paid to me or my family.

OR

I, ………………………………………………………………………..here by exercise option that in the event of my discharge from service on the account of disability or retirement from service on account of invalidation or Death during service, benefits may be paid to me or my family, as the case may be, in accordance with the provision of the regulations to be framed in this regard.

Signature of Railway servant/ Subscriber

Name ………………………………………………………

Designation …………………………………………….

Office in which employed ………………………

…………………………………………………………………

Telephone No…………………………………………..

Place and date: ……………………………………….

This option supersedes any other option made by me earlier.

* Completely strikeout the benefits for which option is not intended to be made.

(To be filled in by the Head of Office or authorized Gazetted Officer)

Received the option dated………………….made by Shri/Smt./Kumari ………………………………………………………………………………. Designation……………………………….

Office……………………………………………………

Entry of receipt of option has been made in page…………………………. Volume ……………of Service Book.

Signature …………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Name and Designation of Head of Office or ……………………………………………..

authorized Gazetted Officer with seal ……………………………………………………….

Date of receipt …………………………………………………………………………….……………..

Note: The receiving Officer will fill the above information and return a duly signed copy of the complete Form to the Railway servant who should keep it in safe custody so that it may come into the possession of the beneficiaries in the event of his/her death/ discharge on invalidation disablement.

FORM-2

Details of Family

Important

1. The original Form submitted by the Railway servant/ Subscriber is to be retained. All additions or alterations are to be communicated by the Railway servant/ retired Railway servant/ Subscriber along with the supporting documents and the changes shall be recorded in this Form under the signature of Head of Office in Col 7. No new Form will substitute the original Form. However, the retiring Subscriber should submit the details of family afresh at the time of retirement.

2. The details of spouse, all children and parents (whether eligible for family pension or not) and disabled siblings (brothers and sisters) may be given.

3. The Head of Office shall indicate the date of receipt of communication regarding addition or alteration in the family in the Remarks’ column. The fact regarding disability or change of marital status of a family member should also be indicated in the Remarks’ column.

4. Wife and husband shall include judicially separated wife and husband.

5. The retired Railway servant shall attach the details of change in family structure after retirement in the proforma prescribed under Dept. of P&PW, O.M No.1(23)-P&PW/91-E, dated the 4^th November, 1992.

6. Copies of birth certificates to be attached. Copies of any other relevant certificates, if available, should be attached.

Name of the Railway servant/ Subscriber

Designation

Nationality

Details of family members:

S.N.	Name (Please see notes below before filling)	Date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY)	Aadhaar no.* (optional)	Relationship with Railway servant/retired Railway servant/ Subscriber	Marital status	Remarks	Dated signature of Head of Office
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

I hereby undertake to keep the above particulars up to date by notifying to the Head of Office any addition or alteration.

E-mail: (Optional)		Place:
Mobile:(Optional)		Date:
		(Signature)

*Providing Aadhaar No. is optional. However, if it is provided, consent to link it to Bank Account and also for authentication of identity from UIDAI for pension related purpose only, is presumed.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.76/2025

Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.