Retirement Age Latest News: Major changes in the retirement rules governing government employees are now in force. The Ministry of Personnel recently issued a new directive whereby a Qualification Service Certificate (QSC) would become mandatory for all government employees five years before his/her retirement. This new rule is specifically aimed at those staff who have completed 18 years of service and have five years or less for retirement. The reasoning behind this is for all employees to assemble the necessary records well in advance of retirement and know their service status.
New Guidelines Of The Ministry Of Personnel
The Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare in the ministry of personnel has come out with an important notification for government servants. All employees completing 18 years of service are required to get their service verified for purposes of obtaining a Qualification Service Certificate. This has to be done at least five years before retirement. The department has further instructed all government departments to put this procedure in practice in order to achieve a smooth process of retirement for their employees.
Importance Of A Qualification Service Certificate
The Qualification Service Certificate (QSC) is a very vital document for government employees. It verifies the period of service, salary, promotions, and other significant particulars about the employee. Hence, the QSC becomes very essential for calculating pension and other retirement benefits. The issuance of the Qualification Service Certificate, therefore, gives the employee an idea of their service status, therefore, enabling them to rectify any discrepancies before retirement. This in a way becomes a safeguard for employees and eases the retirement process.
How will The Verification Process Take Place?
As per the notice of the Ministry of Personnel, the checking of the employee would be performed jointly by the head of the department and the accounts office. This verification will be conducted, however, according to the steps prescribed under service rules. The employee will then be issued a Qualification Service Certificate in the prescribed format after completion of the verification. During this process, all essential documents relating to the service of the employee such as appointment letter, promotion order, increment order, and other service records will be verified. This will ensure that all records are true and above the board without missing anything.
When Will It Start?
As per the notification, this verification process would take place after January 31. As per the Central Civil Services Pension Rules 2021 under this new plan, this verification will be completed at least five years before the date of retirement. Qualifying service status and all related documents will be submitted by the employees. The whole process is compulsory for all government employees. If an employee does not abide by this procedure, the pension and other benefits at the time of retirement may be delayed.
New Rule Objective
This new rule chiefly aims at letting employees know their status in service prior to their retirement. This gives enough time to employees to rectify any inconsistency or error within their service records. Alongside this, it would help to make a systematic record of the employees’ data within the departments and facilitate the retirement process. The government thinks that these processes will allow retired employees to receive their pension and other benefits easily without any delay.
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