In a significant move, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has backed the Centre’s decision to allow the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for eligible compassionate ground appointees. This could encourage many Central Autonomous Bodies (CABs) to follow suit. The OPS option is now available for those who applied for compassionate appointments before January 1, 2004, but started service on or after that date.

At CSIR, which operates as an autonomous body, there were many compassionate ground appointees who had applied for the job before January 1, 2004, the day when National Pension System (NPS) was implemented, but didn’t actually join until years later. As a result, these appointees ended up with NPS as their pension scheme.

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What worked in favour of CSIR compassionate ground appointees?

On March 3, 2023, in an office memorandum (OM), the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare had given a one-time option to join OPS to central government employees who had been recruited in job results declared on or before December 31, 2003, against vacancies which occurred before January 1, 2004, and were covered under the NPS on joining service on after January 1, 2004.

Even though CAB employees also got the option to join OPS later on, the same option was not granted to compassionate ground appointees.

What was the game-changer for CSIR compassionate ground appointees?

The game-changer for the CSIR appointees was a letter dated June 22, 2026, from the Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, which mentioned that the central government had given the OPS option to compassionate ground appointees.

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In the letter, the department had said: “The family member who was eligible for consideration and had applied for compassionate appointment on or before December 12, 2003, shall be considered under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, or OPS, by the concerned ministries/departments.”

This could act as a green signal to many CABs who could provide the OPS pension option to compassionate ground appointees.

CSIR endorses DoPPW’s order

In an office memorandum dated July 7, 2026, the CSIR, endorsed the Centre’s decision on compassionate ground appointees.

“The undersigned is directed to state that the competent authority has accorded approval to forward the Office Memorandum No. 57/05/2021-P&PW(B)/compassionate/10593 dated June 22, 2026, on the above subject issued by director, Department of Pension and Pension Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pensions, Government of India, to all CSIR labs./instts./units for information, guidance and compliance,” says the OM.

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Here, the big question is that will this order apply to all compassionate ground appointees working in CABs under the same arrangement?

The decision doesn’t apply to all such compassionate ground appointees working in CABs under similar conditions. CABs, one by one or simultaneously, are free to endorse the ministry’s decision.

But they can choose to implement it when they want. However, the CSIR initiative can be seen as the beginning of that process where many CABs may follow suit and offer the OPS option to compassionate ground appointees.