Old Pension Scheme: Big news for 69 lakh pensioners, why are employees giving priority to OPS instead of NPS?

News India Live, Digital Desk: According to the statement given by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Choudhary in Rajya Sabha on March 10, 2026, the central government currently has about 50.14 lakh employees. But when it comes to pension, there is a huge difference. According to statistics, there is only 1 NPS pensioner for every 139 OPS pensioners.1. Mathematics of Figures (The Big Gap)SchemeNumber of pensioners (approx.)Key FeaturesOld Pension (OPS)69 lakhFixed pension 50% of last salary + DA.NPS49,802 (till 31 January 2026)Market based returns, no fixed guarantee.2. Why are employees preferring OPS? (Key Reasons) According to employee unions and experts, there are 3 main reasons behind the popularity of OPS: Fixed Income: 50% of the last basic salary after retirement is fixed as pension, whereas NPS is completely dependent on the fluctuations of the stock market. Dearness Relief: Dearness Allowance (DA) in OPS increases twice a year, due to which the pension amount also increases. There is no such provision in NPS. Zero contribution: There is no deduction from the employee’s salary for OPS (fully funded by the government), whereas in NPS the employee has to contribute 10% of his basic salary.3. Government’s ‘middle path’: Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) In view of the increasing demand for OPS and opposition to NPS, the Central Government has introduced the option of Unified Pension Scheme (UPS): Guaranteed Pension: After 25 years of service, 50% of the average basic salary of the last 12 months will be given as pension. Minimum Pension: Guaranteed at least ₹ 10,000 per month after 10 years of service. Option: Employees at their convenience. According to this you can choose between NPS or UPS.4. Warning from states and CAG: While states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have restored OPS as per election promises, CAG has warned in its report that returning to the old pension could prove to be a ‘fiscal disaster’ for the financial condition of the states as it will put a heavy burden of debt on the coming generations.