Excellent news has emerged for government employees. The government has offered a significant benefit to employees who have long been demanding the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Recently, the Jammu & Kashmir government granted a 'one-time option' to certain eligible employees—currently covered under the National Pension System (NPS)—to switch to the Old Pension Scheme. If you meet the criteria, you should not miss this fantastic opportunity.

**Which employees will benefit?**
The government has established clear rules for this change. This facility is available only to employees whose recruitment advertisement or notification was issued before December 24, 2009, but whose appointment process was delayed for some reason, resulting in them joining service on or after January 1, 2010. All such employees currently under the NPS can now opt for the Old Pension Scheme.

**Deadline and key conditions**
To avail of this facility, eligible employees must submit their applications by December 28, 2026, without fail. The government has clarified that this is a 'one-time option'; once an employee opts for the OPS, they cannot revert to the NPS in the future. Therefore, employees are advised to thoroughly understand all rules and their eligibility before applying.

**Complete application process to switch to OPS**
1. First, the eligible employee must submit their application to their respective DDO (Drawing and Disbursing Officer).
2. The DDO will conduct a preliminary review of the application and forward it to the concerned HOD (Head of Department) or appointing authority.
3. From the HOD, the matter will be directly transferred to the concerned Administration Department. 4. The administrative department will meticulously examine the employee's records, recruitment process, and date of joining to determine whether they meet the criteria for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
5. If the employee is found to be fully eligible, the necessary final order inducting them into the Old Pension Scheme will be issued.

When was this decision approved?
There had been talk for quite some time about this significant step taken in the interest of employees. The Jammu & Kashmir government had advanced this proposal, and it subsequently received official approval during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 10, 2026. It is on the basis of this approval that the door to the Old Pension Scheme has now been opened for eligible employees.

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