SC Seeks Ministries' Response on Retired IPS Officers' Pension Clause Challenge

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The Supreme Court has sought responses from various Union ministries, including finance, home, and law, on a plea filed by the Forum of Retired Indian Police Service Officers. The association is challenging the Finance Act's new pension validation clause, introduced in 2025, which allegedly discriminates against pensioners based on their date of retirement. The court, comprising Justices K V Viswanathan and Prasanna B Varale, took note of the plea and posted it for hearing in January next year. The Forum of Retired Indian Police Service Officers claims that the clause is unconstitutional and ultra vires, as it goes against earlier judicial pronouncements that stated pensioners of the same class cannot be discriminated against based on their retirement date. The petition cites earlier verdicts, including a Delhi High Court ruling upheld by the Supreme Court in 2024, which affirmed that pensioners of the same class cannot be treated differently based on their retirement date. The plea seeks a declaration that the pension validation clause is unconstitutional and a direction to the ministry to remit pension to the petitioners, along with interest on delayed payments. The case has significant implications for thousands of retired IPS officers, who may be affected by the Finance Act's new pension validation clause. The Supreme Court's decision will likely influence the fate of the clause and the future of pension benefits for retired government officials.