Some Notions Of Progression For Pension Fixation

Some time ago, I had come across a reference to "notional fixation" in pay-bands applicable to Major for determining the OROP pensions of older pensioners in Major rank, considering no one retires in Major rank anymore due to speedier time-bound promotions. Similar concerns apply in the case of fixation of 7 CPC pensions.

The concept of "notional fixation" was excellent but the rider about restricting the "progression" to a Major's pay-band didn't appeal so much. I had given my opinion, for what it was worth, in a previous blog-post.

To repeat myself, when it comes to time-bound ranks, pension parity needs to be based firstly on the nature of enrolment/commission and the cadre, then on "time" i.e. qualifying service and only after that on the "rank" which is not a constant measure of service rendered in the case of time-bound ranks. Attributes of time bound ranks have changed over the years. In their case, the true measure of service rendered is, well, the service rendered, in number of years. Here's a link to this concept. Again, it applies to 7 CPC as much as OROP.

While working on the co-relationship of qualifying service with stage and level numbers of the 7 CPC Matrix in the previous blog post, it became apparent that the "notional progression" can't be a uni-directional one, leading vertically downwards in the same pay-band.

Such a "notion" budgets for imaginary increments but not the enhancements in grade pay that automatically come with time in reality. So, for a correct "notional progression", the progression has to be downwards and sideways based on what actually happens to those currently serving.

The following example indicates the manner of progression of pay for time-bound ranks which provides a rational basis for fixing 7 CPC pensions of older pensioners.

A critical and basic requirement for the validity of such a downward-sideways progression is, if the older pensioner had been in service after 16 Dec 2004, would he or would he not have been eligible, based on the QS in the extreme left column, for time-based progression to the next higher level shown in the progression path in the table. If the answer to that is in the affirmative, then fixing his pension in the lower pay-band would be a straight-forward case of discrimination.

Even though implementation of 7 CPC pay fixation is reportedly being held in abeyance, the principles of pension parity, as illustrated in the following table, would still be valid regardless of any enhancements in pay levels that might come about):

{Edit}: A little clarification appears in order. The notional progression as suggested in the table needs to be governed by some constraints. 

Notional pay, hence pension, of an older retiree in a certain rank must progress to the level suggested in the table provided currently serving Officers in the older retirees' cadre and with the same type of commission progress on basis of time, i.e. length of service alone, to the higher level as shown.

The progression would, by and large, be applicable up to the rank of Major in most types of commission. But progression to the notional level of current level of Lt Col at service of 13 years may exclude those types of commissions with which Officers do not currently progress automatically to rank of Lt Col at a service of 13 years.

Similarly, notional progression to pay, hence pension, of Col(TS) at a QS of 26 years, as suggested in the table, would be justified for those types of commission with which Officers currently get the rank of Col(TS) after completing a service of 26 years.