Pension Reforms: Status of proposal to revise the minimum EPS-95 pension to ₹7,500 per month – Rajya Sabha Question No. 1534
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1534
TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026
PENSION REFORMS
1534. SHRI SADANAND MHALU SHET TANAVADE:
SHRI NARESH BANSAL:
Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state:
(a) the status of proposal to revise the minimum EPS-95 pension to ₹7,500 per month;
(b) how Aadhaar-based Face Authentication is being promoted for Digital Life Certificates;
(c) whether pensioner record updation has been simplified; and
(d) whether the rules introduced in 2025 allows EPFO members to draw pension commencing from the age of fifty years?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a): Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 is a ‘Defined Contribution- Defined Benefit’ Social Security The corpus of the Employees’ Pension Fund is made up of (i) contribution by the employer @ 8.33 per cent of wages; and (ii) 1.16% contribution from Central Government on wages upto Rs.15,000/- per month. All benefits under the scheme are paid out of such accumulations. The fund is valued annually as mandated under paragraph 32 of EPS, 1995.
The Government is providing a minimum pension of Rs.1000 per month to the pensioners under the EPS, 1995 by providing budgetary support, which is in addition to the budgetary support of 1.16 per cent of wages provided annually towards EPS to Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO).
The Government of India is committed to provide robust social security coverage through EPF Scheme, 1952, EPS-95 and EDLI Schemes being run by EPFO, to the members of these schemes, taking into consideration the sustainability of the respective funds as well as the future liabilities thereon.
(b): (i) Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has entered into an MoU with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to provide free doorstep Aadhar based Digital Life Certificate (DLC) services to EPS- 95 pensioners who are unable to submit DLC using smartphones or visit banks/EPFO Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued to field offices for implementation.
(ii) Instructions have been issued to all field offices to popularize Aadhaar-based Face Authentication for DLC submission through facilitation at offices and outreach programmes, including Nidhi Aapke Nikat 0, being conducted every month across all districts since January 2023.
(iii) Videos explaining benefits of Aadhaar-based Face Authentication for DLC are posted in various social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter(X), Facebook, Instagram
(c): Pensioners records are maintained digitally and PPOs are also issued digitally which can be accessed through UMANG With introduction of Centralized Pension Payment System (CPPS), pensioners do not need to physically visit banks to submit any record for starting pension. Thus pension payment commences immediately when PPO is issued.
Pensioners can submit life certificates digitally using UMANG app or Jeevan Pramaan app.
(d): No such rule has been introduced in 2025.
However, as per para 12(7) of the Employees’ Pension Scheme 1995, a member, upon exit from employment and having rendered eligible service for pension, can draw an early pension from the age of 50 years. In such cases, the amount of pension is reduced at the rate of four per cent, for every year, the age falls short of 58 years.
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