One Rank One Pension

One Rank One Pension rule means that the retired soldiers of the same rank and length of service will receive the same amount of pension, regardless of when they retire. In simple words, it demands equal pensions for those who have retired in one particular year, as those who retire in another year at the same position, and for the same duration of services rendered.

For eg, a sepoy who retires in 1993 should be paid the same pension at the time of retirement, as the one who retires in another year.

So far, there was no such rule. While every pay commission bumps the salaries of government servants, pensions of ex-servicemen remain the same.

Lt Gen Raj Kadyan, chairman of Indian Ex Servicemen Movement, explained "Whenever successive pay commissions enhance the salaries and consequently the pensions, these are affected only prospectively. The gap between past pensioners and their younger equivalents keeps widening with every successive pay commission"

Also, to note down is a fact that defense personnel do not get to serve many years that are required to procure optimum pension amount.

A Supreme Court ruling from 1983 stated, "Pension is not a bounty nor a matter of grace depending upon the sweet will of the employer. It is not an ex-gratia payment, but a payment for past services rendered". The significance of OROP is therefore justified.

This decision of One rank One Pension will be implemented prospectively from the financial year 2014-15.