Source: PIB
What OROP actually means — OROP (One Rank One Pension) ensures that defence personnel of the same rank, retiring with the same length of service, get the same pension, regardless of when they actually retired.
- Implemented in 2015, effective from 2014 — The decision to implement OROP was taken on 7 November 2015, with benefits made effective retroactively from 1 July 2014. Pensions of past pensioners were re-fixed based on the average of minimum and maximum pension drawn by retirees of 2013, and the benefit was extended to family pensioners, war widows and disabled pensioners.
- Pensions are revised every 5 years — Under OROP, pension amounts for each rank are periodically re-fixed, every five years. The third revision (OROP-3) came into effect from 1 July 2024, vide the Ministry’s letter dated 10.07.2024.
- Arrears were paid in different ways for different revisions — The original 2015 arrears were paid in equal half-yearly installments. For the 2019 revision, the Supreme Court set a schedule: family pensioners and gallantry award winners by 30 April 2023, pensioners aged 70 and above by 30 June 2023, and the remaining 10-11 lakh pensioners in three equal installments by 28 February 2024. For OROP-3, the government stated that arrears would be paid within one financial year, and a July 2025 reply in Parliament said revision and arrears had been paid to 25.20 lakh pensioners.
- Family pensioners get arrears in one go — Family pensioners and gallantry award winners were not made to wait for installments like other pensioners. In the 2019 arrears, about 6 lakh family pensioners and gallantry award winners were ordered to be paid in one go by 30 April 2023.
- Not every category of pensioner is covered — Personnel who retired prematurely or at their own request on or after 1 July 2014 are not eligible for OROP as per the Ministry of Defence letter dated 04.01.2023. Premature retirees who retired before 1 July 2014 are already getting OROP. The OROP-2 provisions also do not apply to UK/HKSRA/KCIO pensioners, Pakistan and Burma Army pensioners, reservist pensioners and pensioners receiving ex-gratia payments.
- Premature retirees went to the Armed Forces Tribunal, and won — A group of 114 personnel from all three services challenged their exclusion before the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), Principal Bench, Delhi. On 31 January 2025, the Bench of Justice Rajendra Menon and Rear Admiral Dhiren Vig (Retd) struck down the government order denying OROP to those who took premature retirement after 7 November 2015, calling it unconstitutional and discriminatory. The Bench held that premature retirees form one homogeneous class, and that differentiating within it merely on the basis of retirement dates violates Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.
- Premature retirees fall into three categories — here is what each got:
Category A (retired before 1 July 2014) — Already getting OROP. They had no grievance and were not part of the dispute.
Category B (retired between 1 July 2014 and 7 November 2015) — Excluded from OROP under the government policy. No separate ruling for this category is available, though the Tribunal’s reasoning, that all premature retirees form one class, applies to them as well.
Category C (retired after 7 November 2015) — Excluded from OROP under the government policy. The AFT petitions were filed by this category, and the Tribunal struck down the order denying them OROP and directed that the benefit be granted to the petitioners without discrimination.
Premature retirees not getting OROP? Talk to our legal team — If you are a premature retiree, you are not getting the benefit of OROP, and you want to approach the Armed Forces Tribunal and file a case, you can contact our legal team on WhatsApp at 8882652865.
Where the case stands now — In May 2026, the AFT Lucknow Bench also ruled in favour of a premature retiree. The government continues to rely on the 2015 policy to say that personnel who retired at their own request are not eligible, and no final Supreme Court judgment has settled the issue. So relief is currently case-by-case.
Who revises and pays your pension — OROP revision and payment is handled by your pension disbursing agency. Pensioners who are on the SPARSH (System for Pension Administration Raksha) system are paid through SPARSH, while those drawing pension through banks are paid by their banks.
Check your PPO and revised rate — It is worth checking that your PPO and your SPARSH or bank record show the revised pension rate. If something looks wrong, contact your pension disbursing agency.
OROP fixed a long-standing gap between pensioners of the same rank who retired years apart, but the revision cycle and arrears process still confuse many veterans. Since OROP is applied automatically, your main job is simply to verify your PPO reflects the latest revised rate on SPARSH. If you notice a mismatch, raise it with your Pension Disbursing Authority rather than assuming it will correct itself.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What does One Rank One Pension actually guarantee?
A1. It guarantees that defence personnel of the same rank and length of service get the same pension, regardless of their retirement date.
Q2. When was OROP implemented?
A2. OROP was approved on 7 November 2015, with benefits made effective retroactively from 1 July 2014.
Q3. Do I need to apply separately to receive OROP benefits?
A3. No, OROP is applied automatically by the Pay & Accounts Office of your service; no separate application is required from pensioners.
Q4. How often is the OROP pension amount revised?
A4. Pension amounts under OROP are generally re-fixed every five years, based on updated average pension data for each rank.
Q5. How are OROP arrears paid to family pensioners?
A5. Family pensioners, including gallantry award winners, receive their OROP arrears in a single installment rather than four.
Q6. Is everyone who served in the armed forces covered under OROP?
A6. No, certain categories, including those who took voluntary premature retirement and some historical pensioner groups, are not covered under OROP.
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