Decision On Old Pension Scheme For Unsubsidised Staff Hinges On Supreme Court Verdict

Education Minister Assures House That Case Will Be Pursued With Chief Minister

The implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for certain education department staff remains pending a Supreme Court decision, Maharashtra’s Minister of State for Education Dr. Pankaj Bhoir informed the Legislative Council on July 4.

He clarified that the Group A and B officers under the Educational Empowerment Branch have already been covered under OPS. However, employees serving in non-grant-in-aid or partially aided positions continue to be governed by the Defined Contributory Pension Scheme (DCPS) — a matter currently sub judice before the Supreme Court of India.

Responding to a pointed question by MLC Vikram Kale, and supplementary queries by Sanjay Khodke, Dhiraj Lingade, and Kiran Sarnayak, Dr. Bhoir said, “Since the case is pending before the apex court, the government will wait for the judgment before taking any policy decision.”

He added that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be apprised of the concerns and sentiments expressed by members on the issue, indicating that the government is aware of the emotional and financial implications of the pension disparity among educators.

This comes at a time when multiple states are revisiting their stance on OPS amid employee protests and public pressure. Maharashtra’s final call could have implications for thousands of education-sector employees awaiting parity in retirement benefits.