J&K govt: ReT teachers' initial 5-yr service counts for pension
Synopsis
The J&K government has confirmed that ReT teachers' initial five-year honorarium stint — the period before formal regularisation — will count toward pension entitlements. The clarification, rooted in a 2014 Cabinet decision, also reaffirms the OPS-NPS dividing line at January 1, 2010, dashing restoration hopes for post-2010 regularisees.
Key Takeaways
The J&K government confirmed on 21 September 2026 that the initial five years of honorarium-based service by ReT teachers will count as qualifying service for pension benefits.
The decision was formalised via Cabinet Decision No.
115/09/2014 dated 19 June 2014 .
ReT teachers regularised before 1 January 2010 fall under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) ; those regularised after that date are covered under NPS .
The clarification came in response to a question by MLA Reyaz Ahmad Khan from Shangus, Anantnag East in the J&K Legislative Assembly .
The Rehbar-e-Taleem Scheme was launched in 2000 to address teacher shortages in remote and rural J&K schools.
The Jammu & Kashmir government on Monday, 21 September 2026, informed the J&K Legislative Assembly that the initial five years of pre-regularisation service rendered by Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers will be counted as qualifying service for pensionary and other retirement benefits. The clarification ends a long-standing ambiguity over whether the honorarium-based engagement period contributes to pension entitlements.
Background: What the ReT Scheme Is
The Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) Scheme was launched in 2000 to tackle chronic teacher shortages in remote and rural schools across Jammu & Kashmir. The administration appointed highly educated local candidates on merit to serve in village schools where teachers from outside were reluctant to be posted.
Appointees initially served for five years on a modest monthly honorarium. Upon completing five years of continuous and satisfactory service, they were regularised as permanent General Line Teachers (GLTs).
What the Government Clarified
Officials stated that the government had already accorded sanction to count the initial five-year pre-regularisation period — served on an honorarium basis — on a notional basis as qualifying service for pensionary benefits, wherever applicable.
The decision was formalised through Cabinet Decision No. 115/09/2014 dated 19 June 2014, and subsequently notified via Government Order No. 469-Edu of 2014 dated 25 June 2014.
OPS vs NPS: The Dividing Line
The government also clarified the applicable pension framework for different cohorts of ReT teachers. Those regularised before 1 January 2010 fall under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), while those regularised after 1 January 2010 are covered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS).
This position is governed by SRO-400 dated 24 October 2009 and the Finance Department's Office Memorandum No. A/Misc/2012/F/466 dated 20 April 2012. The government reiterated that there is no provision to restore OPS for teachers who fall under the NPS framework.
Assembly Question That Prompted the Statement
The clarification was made in response to Starred D.No. 1/6/440 raised by Reyaz Ahmad Khan, MLA from Shangus, Anantnag East, who had sought information on the counting of ReT teachers' initial engagement period for pensionary benefits and the possible restoration of OPS.
This comes amid broader national debate over OPS versus NPS for government employees, with several state governments having already moved to restore the old scheme for their workforces. In J&K, however, the administration has held the line, keeping post-2010 regularisations within NPS. How the ReT community — many of whom began their careers on minimal honorariums serving underserved regions — navigates the pension divide will remain a live issue in the union territory's education policy landscape.
Point of View
The harder question — whether post-2010 regularisees should remain under NPS — goes unanswered and uncontested. With the national OPS-vs-NPS debate intensifying, J&K's refusal to even examine the NPS boundary for a scheme born in 2000 looks increasingly difficult to defend politically, especially as these teachers served regions no outsider would touch.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) Scheme in J&K?
The Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) Scheme was launched in 2000 to address teacher shortages in remote and rural schools across Jammu & Kashmir. Local educated candidates were appointed on merit and served on a monthly honorarium for five years before being regularised as permanent General Line Teachers (GLTs).
Will the initial five-year honorarium period of ReT teachers count for pension?
Yes. The J&K government confirmed on 21 September 2026 that the initial five-year pre-regularisation service rendered by ReT teachers on an honorarium basis will be counted on a notional basis as qualifying service for pensionary and retirement benefits, wherever applicable. This was sanctioned through Cabinet Decision No. 115/09/2014 dated 19 June 2014.
Do ReT teachers get the Old Pension Scheme or New Pension Scheme?
ReT teachers regularised before 1 January 2010 fall under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), while those regularised on or after 1 January 2010 are covered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS). The government has reiterated there is no provision to restore OPS for NPS-covered teachers.
Who raised the question about ReT teachers' pension in the J&K Assembly?
MLA Reyaz Ahmad Khan, representing Shangus, Anantnag East, raised Starred D.No. 1/6/440 in the J&K Legislative Assembly, seeking clarity on whether the initial engagement period of ReT teachers counts toward pension and whether OPS could be restored.
What is the legal basis for the ReT teachers' pension decision?
The decision is backed by Cabinet Decision No. 115/09/2014 (19 June 2014), Government Order No. 469-Edu of 2014 (25 June 2014), SRO-400 dated 24 October 2009, and Finance Department Office Memorandum No. A/Misc/2012/F/466 dated 20 April 2012.
