On 24 August, the Union Cabinet approved the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), effective from 1 April 2025, providing government employees with assured pension post-retirement. The scheme shall be applicable for those who retired under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) from 2004 onwards. It is said that this was done in response to the backlash from government employees to the NPS, which came into existence on 1 January 2004, under the then Vajpayee government, replacing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).