The long-standing concerns related to the policy aspects of One Rank One Pension (OROP) were once again brought up during the 35th Meeting of the Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOVA) held on 10 March 2026 under the chairmanship of the Hon’ble Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
However, the Government has reiterated that the matter has already been comprehensively examined and settled through the implementation of OROP-III, and therefore the agenda item has been treated as closed. The discussion forms part of the carried-forward agenda items recorded in the minutes issued vide Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoP&PW) Letter No. 42/11/2023-P&PW(D)/E-9312 dated 04.05.2026.
What is SCOVA?
The Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOVA) is an important consultative platform established by the Government of India to address the grievances and concerns of pensioners and family pensioners.
Representatives from various pensioners’ associations, government departments, ministries, and pension disbursing authorities participate in SCOVA meetings to discuss policy and implementation issues affecting pensioners.
Agenda Item No. 5: Issues Related to Policy Matter of One Rank One Pension (OROP). The issue was listed under the agenda submitted by the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA).
Government’s Response
During the meeting, the Ministry of Defence informed SCOVA that:
The Ministry had already issued detailed policy instructions regarding OROP-III through its letter No. 1(2)/2023/D(Pen/Pol) dated 10 July 2024 and subsequent clarification dated 4 September 2024 after extensive deliberations and consultations with all stakeholders.
The Ministry further emphasized that:
- The OROP scheme has undergone detailed examination at multiple levels.
- Various stakeholders were consulted before finalization of OROP-III.
- The implementation framework has already been notified.
- The constitutional validity of OROP has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
Accordingly, the Ministry stated that no further policy review is presently under consideration.
OROP Has Been Upheld by the Supreme Court
One of the key observations recorded during the SCOVA discussion was that the One Rank One Pension Scheme has already been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The Apex Court had examined various challenges related to the implementation methodology adopted by the Government and ultimately upheld the policy framework.
By referring to the Supreme Court judgment, the Government has once again indicated that the foundational principles and implementation mechanism of OROP stand legally validated.
What is OROP-III ?
OROP-III represents the latest revision of pensions under the One Rank One Pension framework.
The revision was implemented through Ministry of Defence orders issued in 2024 and covers:
- Revision of pension rates for eligible defence pensioners.
- Updated pension tables based on current benchmarks.
- Benefits for retired Armed Forces personnel and family pensioners.
- Arrear payments arising out of revised pension calculations.
The implementation was carried out following recommendations and policy deliberations within the Government.
Why Was the Issue Raised Again?
Several veterans’ organizations and ex-servicemen associations have continued to raise concerns regarding certain policy aspects of OROP, including:
- Periodicity of pension revision.
- Interpretation of equal pension for equal rank and equal length of service.
- Pension anomalies among different categories of retirees.
- Demands for automatic revision mechanisms.
These concerns have been repeatedly represented before various forums, including SCOVA.
However, the Ministry’s stand during the 35th SCOVA meeting indicates that the Government considers the existing OROP framework sufficiently settled from a policy perspective.
Decision of the 35th SCOVA Meeting
After considering the submissions made by the Ministry of Defence, the Committee recorded the following decision:
Since OROP-III has already been issued after detailed deliberations and consultations with stakeholders and the scheme has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the agenda item relating to policy issues of OROP may be treated as closed.
This effectively means that no further action is proposed by the Government on this particular agenda item under SCOVA.
What Does This Mean for Ex-Servicemen?
The closure of the agenda item does not affect the pension benefits already being paid under OROP-III.
For defence pensioners and family pensioners, the decision implies that:
- OROP-III implementation will continue as notified.
- Existing pension revision orders remain unchanged.
- No immediate policy review has been announced.
- Future changes, if any, would require separate Government decisions.
Veterans’ associations may continue to pursue their demands through representations and other appropriate forums, but the matter stands closed within the scope of the 35th SCOVA agenda.
Key Takeaways
✔ The issue of OROP policy matters was discussed during the 35th SCOVA Meeting held on 10 March 2026.
✔ The Ministry of Defence referred to its OROP-III orders dated 10 July 2024 and 4 September 2024.
✔ The Government stated that OROP-III was finalized after consultation with stakeholders.
✔ The Supreme Court has already upheld the OROP scheme.
✔ SCOVA accepted the Ministry’s position and decided that the agenda item may be treated as closed.
Conclusion
The discussion on One Rank One Pension (OROP) during the 35th SCOVA meeting reflects the Government’s consistent position that the matter has already been comprehensively addressed through the implementation of OROP-III. By reiterating that the scheme has been validated by the Supreme Court and finalized after extensive consultations, the Government has effectively closed the issue within the SCOVA framework.
For lakhs of ex-servicemen and defence pensioners across the country, OROP remains one of the most significant pension reforms in independent India. While debates on certain policy aspects may continue among stakeholders, the Government’s latest stand indicates that no further policy changes are currently under consideration under the OROP agenda discussed in the 35th SCOVA meeting.