SATHEE: Railway Pensioners

Railway Pensioners

Item	Details
Statutory Pension Scheme	Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993
Minimum Qualifying Service	10 years (w.e.f. 01.01.2006)
Normal Superannuation Age	60 years for all Railway servants
Retirement Age for Running Staff	60 years (55 yrs upto 31.12.2003)
Pension Disbursing Authority	68 Railway Pension Offices (RPOs) under 17 Zonal Railways
Digital Life Certificate	Jeevan Pramaan – bio-metric, Aadhaar-linked
Family Pension Eligibility	Spouse → unmarried son/daughter → dependent divorced daughter/widow daughter
Commutation of Pension	Max 40 % of basic pension; restored after 15 years
Gratuity Ceiling (2025)	₹20 lakh (enhanced w.e.f. 01.01.2016)
Dearness Relief Formula	AICPI (2001=100) average for past 12 months
Pension Revision	7th CPC fitment factor 2.57 w.e.f. 01.01.2016
Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA)	₹1,000 pm (opted out of RELHS)
RELHS Subscription (2025)	₹250 (one-time) + ₹100 pm for self; ₹50 pm for spouse
Pension Account Number	12-digit PAN-based PPO number
Online Pension Portal	“Parichay” – pensioner’s dashboard & e-PPO download

Pension is payable from the date of retirement/superannuation, not from the date of PPO issue.
Railway pension is wholly exempt from Income Tax under section 10(18) of IT Act.
Nomination for Retirement Gratuity & Commutation must be submitted 6 months before retirement.
Family pension ceases on remarriage of spouse; can be restored if remarriage is dissolved.
Railway pension can be drawn anywhere in India through any authorised bank/Post Office CBS.
Missing railway employee: family pension admissible after 7 years of lodging FIR.
Railway servants absorbed in PSUs retain Railway pension & DR but no pay fixation benefit.
Children with lifetime disabilities get family pension for life, irrespective of age/marital status.
Railway Board can withhold/withdraw pension if pensioner is convicted of serious offences.
Digital life certificate is mandatory every November; failure invites pension stop.
Pensioners can opt for 2nd spell of commutation after 15 years of first commutation.
Widow/divorced daughter must produce non-remarriage & non-earning certificate every year.

1. What is the minimum qualifying service for earning Railway pension?

10 years (w.e.f. 01.01.2006)

2. Which authority issues the Pension Payment Order (PPO) to Railway pensioners?

Railway Pension Office (RPO) of the concerned Zonal Railway

3. Maximum percentage of basic pension that can be commuted is—

40 %

4. After how many years is the commuted portion of pension automatically restored?

15 years

5. What is the income-tax status of Railway pension?

Fully exempt under section 10(18) of Income Tax Act

6. Dearness Relief on Railway pension is linked to which price index?

AICPI (2001=100)

7. What is the one-time subscription for joining RELHS in 2025?

₹250

8. Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) for pensioners who opt out of RELHS is—

₹1,000 per month

9. Which portal allows Railway pensioners to download e-PPO & update profile?

Parichay

10. Within which month must digital life certificate be submitted every year?

November