Supreme Court to Review New Pension Rules Amid Officer Outcry

A plea by retired Indian police officers questions the legality of pension rules introduced in the Finance Act 2025. The Supreme Court will hear the case in January 2024, as the petition argues that the rules discriminate against pensioners and defy previous judicial decisions.

The Supreme Court has sought responses from various Union ministries on a plea challenging the legality of a pension validation clause in the Finance Act 2025. The plea, filed by the Forum of Retired Indian Police Service Officers, argues that the clause discriminates against pensioners based on their retirement date and seeks to overturn three previous judicial decisions.

A bench led by Justices K V Viswanathan and Prasanna B Varale will hear the case in January 2024. The petition, filed through lawyer Alabhya Dhamija, contends that the clause violates the Constitution's principle of separation of powers by attempting to override binding judicial pronouncements.

The petition has named the ministries of finance, home, and law—as well as the departments of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare and Personnel and Training—as parties to the case. It seeks an order requiring adherence to a 2024 High Court decision and demands the payment of overdue pensions with interest.

(With inputs from agencies.)