Emotions have run amok on One Rank One Pension since the governmental baton passed to the NDA last year. In a fashion, this is actually a compliment to the PM's leadership. After all, expectations are sky-high in light of the ruling party's widely perceived fauji-friendly tilt, made even more striking given the UPA's characteristic somnolence (that election-eve accpetance of OROP was disingenuous, if not downright dishonest).
Imagination need not be stretched to understand why OROP demands find widespread support. Naturally, the nation's heartstrings tug easily for those that guard her borders. Our Forces' stellar record of support in times of calamity or strife comes in handy too, no doubt. To top it all, the institution enjoys a moral high ground, thanks to a reputation unsullied barring an occasional blemish, standing tall amidst a general decline in standards of public life (which plumbed new depths in the UPA years).
So why the delay? The ask itself is clear: to index pensions to benefits for currently serving personnel. In other words, the Government must implement a system of 'defined benefits' (percentage of last salary; with math around years worked), paying uniform pensions to retirees in the same rank. Yet, simple as it may be, the commitment is not sans ramifications. It is a multi-dimensional issue, wherein the crux is money.
For starters, a bitter pill must be swallowed immediately. In short, funds are needed to bring legacy pensions on par with recent retirements. Unfortunately, this hit isn't a mere one-off either. The GoI's pension bill inflates considerably in each pay revision cycle (roughly every decade), going forward. With our economic planning often a precarious balancing act, this has been a dealbreaker hitherto.
Additionally, there is a clear-and-present danger that OROP for the fauj opens a Pandora's box and demands of a similar nature could emerge from other service groups. This includes the police and para-military, but could cross over to non-uniformed personnel too. Rail-karmis appear to be first off the block here (with noises around 'essential lifeline of the country' etc) but others may well follow suit. It is this deluge of politico-legal and economic tangles that worries the government.
The fact is that defined benefit pension programmes always run the risk of unsustainability. Many countries have junked such plans on account of the rising burden on declining (productive) populations to support a growing number of retirees. Granted we aren't there today, but what is to suggest that we never will be?
As conundrums go, this is hardly unsolvable. One need look no further than our Central Government employees who have been on a defined contribution — versus defined benefit — programme for over a decade. In fact, the National Pension System is class-leading, with multiple low-cost, managed-risk product options (especially those that enable qualified equity exposure) and offers an excellent alternative. Migrating to the NPS, however, would be no cakewalk — demanding more of a cultural mindset shift than routine policy tweak.
Parsing through all this requires time: a commodity the Modi Govt may not have. It is an inescapable fact that the UPA's wanton profligacy in the name of social inclusion has pushed India close to the edge of a fiscal precipice. An ill-conceived or reckless OROP implementation must not become another nail in this coffin-in-the-making. That is a prospect our fauji brethren would certainly wish to avoid.
Imagination need not be stretched to understand why OROP demands find widespread support. Naturally, the nation's heartstrings tug easily for those that guard her borders. Our Forces' stellar record of support in times of calamity or strife comes in handy too, no doubt. To top it all, the institution enjoys a moral high ground, thanks to a reputation unsullied barring an occasional blemish, standing tall amidst a general decline in standards of public life (which plumbed new depths in the UPA years).
So why the delay? The ask itself is clear: to index pensions to benefits for currently serving personnel. In other words, the Government must implement a system of 'defined benefits' (percentage of last salary; with math around years worked), paying uniform pensions to retirees in the same rank. Yet, simple as it may be, the commitment is not sans ramifications. It is a multi-dimensional issue, wherein the crux is money.
For starters, a bitter pill must be swallowed immediately. In short, funds are needed to bring legacy pensions on par with recent retirements. Unfortunately, this hit isn't a mere one-off either. The GoI's pension bill inflates considerably in each pay revision cycle (roughly every decade), going forward. With our economic planning often a precarious balancing act, this has been a dealbreaker hitherto.
Additionally, there is a clear-and-present danger that OROP for the fauj opens a Pandora's box and demands of a similar nature could emerge from other service groups. This includes the police and para-military, but could cross over to non-uniformed personnel too. Rail-karmis appear to be first off the block here (with noises around 'essential lifeline of the country' etc) but others may well follow suit. It is this deluge of politico-legal and economic tangles that worries the government.
The fact is that defined benefit pension programmes always run the risk of unsustainability. Many countries have junked such plans on account of the rising burden on declining (productive) populations to support a growing number of retirees. Granted we aren't there today, but what is to suggest that we never will be?
As conundrums go, this is hardly unsolvable. One need look no further than our Central Government employees who have been on a defined contribution — versus defined benefit — programme for over a decade. In fact, the National Pension System is class-leading, with multiple low-cost, managed-risk product options (especially those that enable qualified equity exposure) and offers an excellent alternative. Migrating to the NPS, however, would be no cakewalk — demanding more of a cultural mindset shift than routine policy tweak.
Parsing through all this requires time: a commodity the Modi Govt may not have. It is an inescapable fact that the UPA's wanton profligacy in the name of social inclusion has pushed India close to the edge of a fiscal precipice. An ill-conceived or reckless OROP implementation must not become another nail in this coffin-in-the-making. That is a prospect our fauji brethren would certainly wish to avoid.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment