Ministry moves note for Union Cabinet’s nod

In a move that will benefit about 30 lakh retired soldiers and their families, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has mooted the revision of the “One Rank, One Pension” (OROP) Scheme.

A formula for the increase in emoluments has been suggested by the MoD. With the Union Budget scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on July 23, a formal announcement regarding it is expected during the session or before it.

Under the OROP scheme, pension of the past pensioners, who retired at a particular rank, would be re-fixed on the basis of retirees of the calendar year 2023. Those with same length of service and same rank would get same pension as those retiring in 2023.

Sources said the MoD had moved a note for approval by the Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi.

This will be the second such revision of the OROP, the first one was ordered in 2019 and okayed in 2022.

During its first tenure, the Modi government had taken a decision to implement the OROP for personnel of the defence forces and family pensioners (widows or minor children of dead soldiers). It issued a policy letter on November 7, 2015, and the OROP was given from the cut-off date of July 1, 2014.

In the policy letter, it was mentioned that in future, the pension would be re-fixed every five years.