In keeping with its policy to provide equitable rights to women, the government, In a path-breaking decision, has amended the long-standing established rule, thereby granting a woman employee the right to nominate her son or daughter for family pension instead of her husband as has been the practice so far.

Sharing this information with the media, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the Department of Pensions and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoP&PW) has introduced an amendment to the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, allowing female government employees or pensioners to grant family pension to their eligible child/children after their own demise, instead of their spouse.

The amendment will address situations where marital discord leads to divorce proceedings or cases filed under acts such as the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, Dowry Prohibition Act or the Indian Penal Code, he said.

Previously, family pension was granted to the spouse of a deceased government servant or pensioner, while other family members became eligible only after the spouse’s ineligibility or demise. However, the new amendment allows female government servants or pensioners to request the grant of family pension to their eligible child/children after their own demise, instead of their spouse.

Hailing the move, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the amendment is in line with Prime Minister Modi’s policy of giving equitable, just and legitimate rights to the women functionaries in every sector, whether it be Permanent Commission to Women in the Armed Forces or Women’s Reservation Amendment in Parliament.

In an office memorandum, the DoP&PW said, the female government servant or pensioner must make a written request to the concerned Head of Office, stating that family pension should be granted to her eligible child/children in precedence to her spouse, in the event of her death during the ongoing proceedings. If the female government servant or pensioner passes away during the proceedings, the family pension will be disbursed accordingly.

The DoP&PW notification said if a woman employee is survived by a widower with no eligible child, the family pension will be payable to the widower. However, if the widower is the guardian of a minor child or a child suffering from a mental disorder, the family pension will be payable to the widower, as long as he remains the guardian. Once the child attains majority and remains eligible for family pension, it will be payable directly to the child.

For cases where the deceased female government servant or pensioner is survived by a widower and children who have attained majority but are still eligible for family pension, the family pension will be payable to such children. After all eligible children cease to be eligible for family pension, it will become payable to the widower until his death or remarriage, whichever occurs first.