New pension rule empowers women: Govt staff can nominate children instead of husband

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has introduced a new rule allowing female government employees and pensioners to nominate their children instead of their husbands for family pension in certain circumstances.

"...it has been decided that if divorce proceedings are pending in the court of law or a female pensioner/female government servant has filed a case against her husband under Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act or under Dowry Prohibition Act or under Indian Penal Code, such a female pensioner/female government servant may make a request that family pension may be granted to her eligible child/children after her death," the order stated.

This order has provided relief, especially to women who are in the process of getting a divorce or have filed cases against their husbands under domestic violence, dowry harassment, or other legal sections. Now, such women can directly make their children the owners of the family pension without making their husbands the primary beneficiaries.

This rule was already implemented for other government employees by the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoP&PW) on January 1, 2024. Now, this facility has also been extended to female officers of All India Services.

This decision by the government will provide great relief to female employees facing marital harassment or legal battles. This action shows that the government is seriously taking the protection and rights of women and their children and is committed to supporting them in difficult times.