Business
Major Relief For Central Govt Employees! Centre Extends One-Time Switch From NPS To UPS
New Delhi: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has given big relief to central government employees by extending the one-time option to shift between the National Pension System (NPS) and the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). This move will benefit thousands of employees who were earlier unsure about which scheme to choose, giving them more flexibility and security for their retirement planning.
What is UPS?
The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) was notified by the central government on January 24, 2025. It is an option under the National Pension System (NPS) that provides a fixed benefit similar to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). The scheme has been implemented from April 1, 2025. UPS has been designed to offer financial security and stability to employees after retirement. Compared to the market-linked NPS, it provides greater security.
Who Can Opt for This?
As per the latest government notification, this option is available for central government employees who joined service between April 1, 2025, and August 31, 2025. It applies to those who first chose the National Pension System (NPS) but now wish to shift to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). However, employees facing dismissal, compulsory retirement, or pending disciplinary action are not eligible. The choice must be made by September 30, 2025, which is also the cut-off date set for other eligible employees and retirees.
Benefits for Employees Under UPS
Shifting to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) gives central government staff several key advantages. They can receive an assured monthly pension equal to 50 per cent of their average basic pay from the last 12 months, provided they complete 25 years of service. Even with 10 years of service, employees are guaranteed a minimum pension of Rs 10,000 per month. The scheme also includes family pension benefits, with the spouse entitled to 60 per cent of the last payout, along with dearness relief linked to inflation—similar to DA for current employees.
Additionally, a lump sum benefit of 10 per cent of emoluments is paid for every six months of completed service. One crucial point: employees who switch to UPS can later return to NPS, but that decision will be final and irreversible.
Retirement and Death Gratuity
In June, Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated that all central government employees covered under the UPS will now be entitled to retirement and death gratuity, similar to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). This benefit will be provided under the Central Civil Services (Gratuity Payment under National Pension System) Rules, 2021. An order has been issued by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DOPPW), stating that employees under UPS will receive OPS-like benefits in case of death, physical disability, or retirement from service. This is expected to be a major relief for employees.
Business
Without Rera data, real estate reform risks losing credibility: Homebuyers’ body – The Times of India
New Delhi: More than 75% of state real estate regulators, Reras, have either never published annual reports, discontinued their publication or not updated them despite statutory obligation and directions from the housing and urban affairs ministry, claimed homebuyers’ body FPCE on Friday. It released status report of 21 Reras as of Feb 13.The availability of updated annual reports is crucial as these contain details of data on performance of Reras, including project completion status categorised by timely completion, completion with extensions, and incomplete projects. The ministry’s format for publishing these reports also specifies providing details such as actual execution status of refund, possession and compensation orders as well as recovery warrant execution details with values and list of defaulting builders.FPCE said annual report data is not only vital for homebuyers to assess system credibility, but is equally necessary for both state and central govts to frame effective policies, design incentivisation schemes, and develop tax policy frameworks.“Unless we have credible data proving that after Rera the real estate sector has improved in terms of delivery, fairness, and keeping its promises, we are merely firing in the air,” said FPCE president Abhay Upadhyay, who is also a member of the govt’s Central Advisory Council on Rera.As per details shared by the entity, seven states — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa — have never published a single annual report since Rera’s implementation, and nine states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, which initially published reports, have discontinued the practice.Upadhyay said when regulators themselves don’t follow the law, they lose the legal right to demand compliance from other stakeholders. “Their failure emboldens builders and weakens the very system they are meant to safeguard,” he said.
Business
Infosys Rolls Out 85% Average Performance Bonus In Q3FY26, Best In Over 3 Years
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Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.

Infosys logo is seen.
IT major Infosys rolled out performance bonus payouts averaging around 85 percent for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 (Q3FY26), marking the strongest variable pay outcome for eligible employees in at least the past three-and-a-half years, Moneycontrol reported citing people in the know.
The bonus payout for mid- to junior-level employees ranges between 75 percent and 100 percent, with most employees clustering around the organisation-wide average of 85 percent, the report said. The development signals a steady recovery in variable compensation at the Bengaluru-headquartered IT services firm. Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.
Employees are expected to receive their bonus letters over the next few days, with the payout scheduled to be credited along with their February salary.
One employee told the outlet that it is the strongest bonus outcome seen in recent years. The payout is also among the rare instances since the Covid-19 period when variable pay has approached the upper end of the eligible range.
Infosys last paid out 100 percent variable compensation during the pandemic. In the quarters that followed, payouts were lower amid macroeconomic uncertainty and a broader slowdown in client spending across global markets.
The higher payout comes at a time when global IT stocks have faced renewed pressure, driven by concerns over rapid advances in artificial intelligence and their potential impact on traditional IT services models.
Shares of global IT firms have seen sharp sell-offs in recent weeks amid heightened investor focus on AI leaders such as Anthropic. Investors fear that generative AI tools could compress pricing, automate routine services work and reduce demand for legacy outsourcing models.
Against that backdrop, the improved bonus payout at Infosys is being viewed as a signal of operational resilience and near-term performance strength, even as sentiment around the broader IT sector remains cautious.
February 13, 2026, 21:44 IST
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