Govt employees take to streets against Karnataka’s new pension scheme'

Agencies

December 12, 2018

Bengaluru, Dec 12: Scores of government employees on Wednesday took to streets in Karnataka's Belgaum city to protest against the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and demanded that it should be scrapped.

Thousands of agitating employees also pressed for the earliest renewal of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

The protest was held in Kondaskoppa area of the city, opposite the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (State Assembly) where the winter session of the Karnataka Assembly is in session.

The protesters believe that under the new scheme they are receiving less benefits as compared to the old scheme.

Speaking to ANI, Roopa, state organising secretary said that there is dire need to roll back the new scheme as the other states have had also taken up this issue into consideration and implemented the old scheme. "The state government should correct this disparity as other states have already opted to OPS.

NPS, a government-sponsored pension scheme, was launched in the year 2004 for government employees. It was opened to all sections in 2009.

The NPS was introduced, primarily for Central Government employees.

This protest was launched just two days after the Union finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced that the central government's contribution to the National Pension System will be enhanced to 14 per cent from the current 10 per cent. The minimum employee contribution stands at 10 per cent.

While speaking to media in New Delhi on Monday, Jaitley asserted that this "new move will increase the eventual accumulated corpus of all central government employees covered under NPS. It will also provide greater pension payouts after retirement without any additional burden on the employee."

The Union Minister also added that the 7th pay commission had recommended the constitution of a committee of secretaries to examine NPS rules for government employees and subsequently the government had held an inter-ministerial consultation after the panel of secretaries gave their recommendations for the changes.

At present, the new entrants to the central government service on or after January 1, 2004 are covered under the NPS. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority regulates and implements the NPS.

"Tax exemption limit for lump sum withdrawal on exit has been enhanced to 60 per cent," said Jaitley and added "the entire withdrawal will now be exempt from income tax."

In his concluding the Union Finance minister had also stated, "out of 60 per cent of the accumulated corpus withdrawn by the NPS subscriber at the time of retirement, 40 per cent is tax exempt and balance 20 per cent is taxable.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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