An artist’s rendition of the Supreme Court of India.
New Delhi: The Union government informed the Supreme Court that it has decided against implementing a 10 per cent pension hike for retired regular Indian Army captains under the “one rank, one pension” (OROP) scheme. The additional solicitor general, Aishwarya Bhati, representing the government, conveyed the decision during a hearing before a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Manmohan.
The Supreme Court was addressing an appeal filed by the government challenging a 2021 order from the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) in Kochi, which directed the resolution of pension discrepancies affecting retired captains. The AFT order was based on recommendations made by a one-man judicial committee (OMJC) established in 2016 to resolve anomalies in the OROP scheme. However, the government did not act on these recommendations for years, citing the need to address six identified anomalies.
The apex court had previously expressed its dissatisfaction with the government’s prolonged inaction, even imposing a fine of ₹2 lakh in an earlier session. It warned that it would mandate a 10 per cent pension enhancement if the government failed to make a decision. Despite these directives, the government has maintained its stance, stating that it does not accept the recommendations – a move likely to be contested by the petitioners representing retired Army captains.
Introduced in 2015, the OROP scheme aimed to equalize pensions for retired armed forces personnel, irrespective of their retirement dates. However, discrepancies in its implementation have led to grievances among certain ranks, particularly captains and majors, whose data was reportedly insufficient for accurate pension calculation. The retired officers argue that these anomalies contradict the principle of OROP and demand equitable treatment.
The Supreme Court has adjourned the case to December 12, giving the petitioners time to strategize their response. The ongoing legal battle underscores the complexities of balancing fiscal policies with commitments to military personnel and raises questions about the effective implementation of OROP.
