Of the Rs 31,820.80 crore allocated to central sector schemes and projects, only Rs 11,868.05 crore was utilised, according to the revised estimates.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Who pays what into EPF, EPS, and EDLI -- the 12% math explained.
Let's decode how EPS works, who qualifies, and how pensions are calculated, using simple examples for different salary levels.
'These changes are expected to eliminate many data-entry problems that make the return filing process cumbersome in the current system.'
A 10-part series that explains all you want to know about how India's EPF turns a slice of your monthly salary into long-term savings, pension, and life insurance.
Employees' Pension Scheme has been asked to fold up and hand over subscribers to National Pension System
The Union finance ministry has rejected a proposal sent by the labour ministry to double the monthly minimum pension amount to Rs 2,000 under the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS). The Central Board of Trustees (CBT), the apex decision-making body of the Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), was apprised of the proposal's rejection during a meeting on Saturday. "According to the recommendations made by a highly-empowered monitoring committee constituted by the government, a proposal to increase the minimum pension under EPS from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month, by providing additional budgetary support, was sent to the ministry of finance.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Monday set May 3 as the deadline for subscribers to opt for a higher pension. The Supreme Court on November 4 allowed another change for employees who were existing EPS members as on September 1, 2014, to contribute up to 8.33 per cent of their actual salaries - as against 8.33 per cent of pensionable salary capped at Rs 15,000 a month - towards pension. The apex court gave a four-month window to enable opting for higher pensions.
The retirement fund body EPFO is likely to announce the rate of interest on employees' provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2022-23 at its two-day meeting beginning Monday. EPFO had lowered the interest on EPF for 2021-22 to an over four-decade low of 8.1 per cent for its about five crore subscribers, from 8.5 per cent in 2020-21 in March 2022. This was the lowest since 1977-78, when the EPF interest rate stood at 8 per cent.
Furnishing of Aadhaar is still mandatory for final settlement of pension
rediffGURU and financial planning expert Colonel Sanjeev Govila (retd) will answer your personal finance-related questions.
Remember, pension from EPS will be taxable at slab rate, reducing the post-tax income for people who remain in the higher tax brackets after retirement.
With EPFO capping the contributions to your pension scheme, you could look at other pension plans.
The order also provides that the field office will incur expenditure on the facilitation function under the head of publicity.
Around 20 lakh pensioners to benefit from govt new pension scheme.
An expert group has called for carving out two separate accounts -- PF and annuity -- in the employee provident fund scheme to meet the challenge of fund depletion in the pension scheme and introducing greater transparency for subscribers.
While reasonable safeguards should be built in, there can't be restrictions on the individual's right to leave her/his money to whoever s/he wants, notes Harsh Roongta.
Expatriates working in India and some Indians working abroad for an Indian employer are required to make mandatory contributions to the Indian government's statutory provident fund.
The committee has termed the Employee Provident Fund Organisation's data on number of pensioners subscribed to the Employee's Pension Scheme, 1995 as 'inflated and imaginary'. Top officials of the labour ministry and the provident fund organisation were unable to explain how calculations for pensionary liability were arrived at without knowing the number of pensioners in the country.
"The pension amount is too meagre. Even in some cases it is less than Rs 200 per month. There is serious discontent and industrial unrest among the workers, " HMS secretary A D Nagpal said in a letter to the labour minister M Mallikarjun Kharge. Asking the government to address the anomalies in the scheme, Nagpal demanded that pension amount should be reasonably increased and the benefits which were withdrawn should be restored.
Replying to a Calling Attention Motion, labour minister Oscar Fernandes, however, said there will be no amendment to the Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 in the wake of Sixth Central Pay Commission as the two issues are not related. He said two committees, including one headed by a special secretary, have been set up to review the EPF scheme and ensure that it brings better benefits to the employees.
The seventh annual valuation report of the employees pension scheme has disclosed a projected deficit of Rs 19,291 crore (Rs 192.91 billion) as on March 31, 2003, Lok Sabha was told on Monday.
RSS-aligned Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Monday expressed disappointment over the government's budget proposals with regard to divestment and foreign direct investment, especially in the insurance sector. The BMS, however, lauded the government for its current efforts on the massive vaccination programme, a special scheme for tea workers in West Bengal and Assam, labour oriented push on infrastructure projects in construction sector and development of five major fishing harbours viz. Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Petuaghat as hubs for economic activities etc. On other Budget proposals, it said in a statement that "mixing the beautiful concept of Aatmanirbhar Bharat with FDI and disinvestment in the Union Budget is disappointing for the employees".
According to sources, the proposal is listed in the agenda of the meeting of the Union Cabinet scheduled for Friday.
The new form does not require attestation by employer and can be submitted directly to the concerned EPFO offices
The government has reduced the stipulated period for settlement of various claims like PF withdrawal, pension and insurance by the retirement fund body EPFO to 20 days from the existing 30 days.
There are seven potential buyers, ranging from the Port Talbot steelworks' management to the UK steel industry investors Liberty House
Employees' Provident Fund Organisation has been allowing members to contribute more than mandatory amount towards their pension account.
As of now, foreign employees applying for withdrawal of provident funds are required to open bank accounts in India.
At present, workers whose basic wage at the time of joining is up to Rs 6,500 per month.
The government has also revised the minimum wages for unskilled non-farm workers upwards by 42 per cent to Rs 350 per day
Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge processing Outsourcing (KPO) firms are covered by the retirement fund body EPFO, Parliament was informed.
'They (government) are trying to create market for pension products'.
They said that massive public investment in infrastructure, social sectors and agriculture would generate employment and the Union Budget should give it a priority and allocate necessary funds for this.