Special Day Blog
Every year, December 17 is celebrated as National Pensioners Day in India since 1983. The day is celebrated to commemorate the historical judgment which was passed by the Supreme Court of India on December 17, 1982.
British government brought the pension system in the country in 1857 similar to that prevailing in Britain. A pension fund is a retirement plan where a sum of money is collected during an employee’s employment years. The money is paid back to the employee in the form of periodic payments after his/her retirement. The British pension system was applied just to make a provision
to retired employees, under powers of the mercy of the British, not as a Fundamental Right, made through Indian Pension Act, 1871. Governors and Viceroy were authorized for granting pension. British Government occasionally compensated pensioners through an increase in their pension to
neutralize the effect of inflation. Even though the retirement benefits were being given by the Government, they were not incorporated in Fundamental Rules made effective from 1-1-1922.
On December 17, 1982, the Supreme Court ruled that discrimination on pension benefits based on the retirement date would be the same as the division of pensions and that such discrimination was a violation of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution.
“Pension is neither a bounty, nor a matter of grace depending upon the sweet will of the employer, nor an ex-gratia payment. It is a payment for the past services rendered. It is a social welfare measure rendering socio-economic justice to those who in the heyday of their life ceaselessly toiled for the employer on an assurance that in their old age they would not be left in the lurch” said the then CJI Late Justice Y.V. Chandrachud.
AS PER TIMES OF INDIA NEWS OF 04-02-1996, it is placed in the Gunnies Book of World Record, as, by this Judgment, 20 Lakhs of pensioners benefited (it may be now around 50 Lakhs). Under this, we are getting the pension, as a right.