False Minimum Pension Hopes: Why EPS Pensioners Deserve Truth, Not Propaganda

For more than a couple of years, there has been a great deal of discussion and debate on sanction of minimum pension of ₹7500 with dearness allowance and medical facilities. On a number of occasions, Commander Ashok Rawat, the EPS 1995 National Agitation Committee (NAC) leader met the various top dignitaries in the Union Labour Ministry including the Prime Minister. Usually, after the meetings, he would hold press meets to convey the earnest efforts made by the NAC to ensure sanction of minimum pension of ₹7500/- and express hope to make it a reality. No one has any problem with his exhortations and hopes, but what one is piqued by is that this has been going on for years. Be that as it may, in recent months, a disturbing trend has surfaced across some news websites and YouTube channels with unverified claims that the government has approved minimum pension of ₹7,500 for EPS pensioners, along with Dearness Allowance (DA) and medical benefits. A simple Google search would present dozens of links of news websites and YouTube stuffing the visitor with huge content on enhancement of minimum pension. These platforms boldly attribute the supposed decision to the Finance Minister, the Government of India, and even the Supreme Court. Pensioners sincerely wish that these assurances and grapevine claims had turned out to be true, but the ground reality is different.

Reality:

There is no official confirmation from any of these authorities about increase in the minimum pension from the existing ₹1000 to ₹7500 that too with AICPI based DA. It was on 1.9.2014, the minimum pension of ₹1000/- was introduced in EPS 95 and thenceforth, it has been continuing in spite of the fact that the Koshiyari Committee had recommended increase of minimum pension of ₹3000/- as far back as in Dec 2011, but with Cabinet Committee having not approved it. In the recent past, government also has categorically informed on the floor of the house that there was no proposal whatsoever to increase the minimum pension.

For many senior citizens, however, these reports including the news doing rounds now seem like a ray of hope, only to turn out false. And that kind of disappointment cuts deep. It’s not just a question of misinformation; it’s about emotional manipulation of the senior citizens who predominantly worked in Private and Public Sector organisations contributing immensely to the GDP of the country.

The struggle for higher EPS pension has dragged on for nearly two decades. A major breakthrough finally came in November 2022, when a 3-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment that offered hope to lakhs of higher pension aspirants. But even then, implementation has been painfully slow and riddled with bureaucratic hurdles, procedural delays and administrative inadequacies. Lakhs of pensioners are still waiting for their rightful dues to materialize. Meanwhile, irresponsible content such as the one being discussed here continues to circulate — some of it even featuring claims of meetings with senior government dignitaries and hinting that official announcements are around the corner. This pattern has been repeating for years, building hopes and delivering nothing.

Is it not a betrayal of trust?

In the guise of freedom of expression under the Constitution, anything and everything cannot be allowed to be published without consequence. When false news is spread using the names of government bodies or even the Supreme Court, it crosses the line from free speech into misinformation. In such cases, the government or the quoted institution must step in and take suo motu action against the erring websites or YouTube channels. Silence or inaction only encourages more such behavior, further eroding public trust.

Many of these pensioners are in the twilight of their lives — dealing with medical issues, limited income, and an uncertain future. They don’t need drama, they need dignity. They don’t need speculation, they need clarity. The websites and social media platforms should keep this in mind before playing with their emotions. For pensioners, many of whom survive on meagre incomes, such false claims are more than just rumours—they are sources of profound emotional and psychological strain.

With EPFO having started sanctioning higher pension in eligible cases, albeit at a snail’s pace, giving 3 months’ time to remit the differential arrear contributions to claim higher pension, it appears that there are considerable number of pensioners who are hoping and in fact, aspiring for DA-based minimum pension of ₹7500/- without requiring to deposit arrear contributions. With the above false propaganda of minimum pension in print and electronic media, though not in main-stream, the poor pensioners are thrown to a situation of not taking a decision either to wait for the so-called enhanced minimum pension or remit arrear contributions with interest for higher pension within the time limit prescribed by the EPFO’s regional offices. A few pensioners have reached out to this author—who retired as a senior executive in Human Resources from a major public sector undertaking—for guidance in the wake of proliferating news on possible enhancement of higher pension. However, even with decades of professional expertise and experience, offering meaningful advice in such matters becomes difficult, as they are often subject to the shifting priorities and unpredictability of the ruling dispensation. In this kind of confused state fraught with uncertainty and scepticism, dissemination of fake claims is tantamount to playing fraud with the pensioners belying their trust in the system and those responsible therefor should be taken to task. It is hoped that there this kind of dissemination of false news is not orchestrated and that there is nothing more than meets the eye.

What is required?

It’s time we demanded accountability — not just from YouTube channels and news websites, but also from the institutions whose names are being misused. The Supreme Court should not be misquoted without consequence. The misuse of the Supreme Court’s name in the news is particularly appalling. Under Article 129 of the Constitution, the Court holds the power to punish for contempt, including acts that misuse its authority to mislead the public. Government departments should not remain passive when their credibility is being hijacked to spread misinformation. Pensioners have served the country with dedication. They deserve better — they deserve truth, transparency, and timely action.

The senior citizens cannot be dubbed as greedy to ask for the respect and empathy they deserve because in the end, the true measure of a society is how it treats its elders.

Views expressed in this article are those of Mr. Vasa Srinavasa Murthy, Retired DGM (HR), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)