One Rank One Pension Scheme

One Rank One pension (OROP) in simple terms mean that every soldier who retires on the same post will get the same pension. Pension will not wary with the date of retirement. Presently the pension is related to the last salary drawn, so soldiers who retires at the later date receives more pension than those who did earlier, because salary has been hiked by pay commission from time to time. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and Rajya Sabha Committee on petitions have recommended holistic implementation of OROP.Present union government has also given its commitment for one rank one pension. Thousand crore has been alloted for the purpose of implementing this scheme. One rank one pension is a long standing issue since 1973. Untill 1973, one rank one pension was the criteria used for providing the pensios to Indian Armed Forces Personnel .

Decision to go against one rank one pension scheme was taken by third Central Pay Commission. One Rank One Pension (OROP) since then has become a contentious issue and the delay in restoring OROP has become a cause of disquiet in the Armed Forces. In order to look into the issue a petition committee under Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari was formed. The Committee report mentioned that “the decision of the Government to bring defence personnel on the pattern of the civilians with regard to their pay, pension, etc. (from Third Central Pay Commission onwards) was not a considered decision which caused hardship to the defence personnel and given birth to their demand for OROP. Before the Third Central Pay Commission, the defence personnel were getting their pay / pension on the basis of a separate criterion unconnected with the criteria devised for the civilian work force. That criterion acknowledged and covered the concept of OROP which has been given up after the Third Central Pay Commission.” The Koshyari Committee also strongly recommended that, “Government should implement OROP in the defence forces across the board at the earliest and further that for future, the pay, allowances, pension, family pension, etc. in respect of the defence personnel should be determined by a separate commission so that their peculiar terms” are properly taken into account.

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