By buld_online 
The Finance Ministry has extended the deadline for central government employees to opt for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) over the National Pension System (NPS) to September 30, offering a three-month reprieve from the original cutoff of June 30.
Announced via a press release on June 23, the extension was granted in response to multiple stakeholder requests. “In view of representations received from stakeholders requesting an extension of the cut-off date, the Government of India has decided to extend the cut-off date for exercising the option for UPS by three months,” the release stated.
The extension applies to eligible existing employees, past retirees, and the legally wedded spouses of deceased retirees.
The Unified Pension Scheme, introduced on April 1, is positioned as a more secure alternative to the NPS. Unlike NPS, which offers market-linked returns without a guaranteed pension, UPS promises an assured monthly payout and a lump sum at retirement. Recently, the scheme was further bolstered with the inclusion of gratuity benefits for those who opt in.
Eligibility to opt for UPS includes three categories: central government employees in service as of April 1, 2025; retirees as of March 31, 2025 (provided they served at least 10 years or retired under specific rules not treated as penalties); and the legally wedded spouses of deceased eligible retirees.
For new recruits, the window to opt for UPS is within 30 days of joining government service. Crucially, once an employee opts for UPS, the decision is final and irreversible. Should an employee fail to make a choice by the deadline, they will automatically remain in the NPS by default.
For those switching, their existing pension corpus will be transferred to the PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number) tagged under the Unified Pension Scheme.