The Council of Ministers approved the Madhya Pradesh Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 2026 and the Madhya Pradesh Civil Service (Pension Commutation) Rules, 2026, authorising the Finance Department to publish the rules. The proposed rules simplify procedures and delegated authorities, facilitating greater convenience for pensioners, timely disposal of cases, ease in pension commutation, and simplified calculation of commuted pension value. Under Rule 44 of the Pension Rules, 2026, unmarried, widowed, and divorced daughters have also been included among eligible members for family pension. The Cabinet further approved the Madhya Pradesh Civil Service (National Pension System Implementation) Rules, 2026 and the Madhya Pradesh Civil Service (Payment of Gratuity under National Pension System) Rules, 2026, which will come into effect from April 1, 2026. The Finance Department has been authorised to publish these rules. Key new provisions include the grant of family pension in the event of the subscriber’s death, provisions related to voluntary retirement and e-service books, and the integration of previous services under the Central and Madhya Pradesh governments.

 

Provisions have also been made for subscriber and employer contributions during periods of suspension. The rules lay down a detailed and transparent framework for NPS implementation, contribution rates, calculation methods, responsibility determination in case of delays, and exit provisions in cases of retirement, voluntary retirement, resignation, and death. Clear procedures have been defined for determination and payment of gratuity to Government servants covered under the National Pension System. Recovery from gratuity will be permissible in connection with departmental inquiry orders issued after retirement. The rules also provide for withholding of the employer’s contribution during the pendency of departmental inquiries, stoppage of subscriber contributions three months prior to retirement, initiation of departmental proceedings after retirement, and provisions empowering the State Government regarding relaxation and removal of difficulties in the rules.

 

Besides, the Cabinet approved an amount of Rs 7,133.17 crore for ensuring the continuity of schemes of the Tribal Affairs Department and the Women and Child Development Department for the period from 2026-27 to 2030-31, at the meeting of the Council of Ministers, held on Tuesday at the Mantralaya under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav. 1,416.91 crore for the CM Rise School Scheme: As per the approval, Rs 2,350 crore was sanctioned for the PVTG Nutrition Grant Scheme of the Tribal Affairs Department, Rs 1,703.15 crore for the Integrated Hostel Scheme, Rs 1,416.91 crore for the CM Rise School Scheme, and Rs 1,110 crore for the Housing Assistance Scheme. An amount of Rs 522.08 crore was approved for fee reimbursement to the Board of Secondary Education, scholarships for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students, and Class 9 scholarships. In addition, Rs 31.03 crore was sanctioned for the Chief Minister COVID-19 Child Service Scheme under the Women and Child Development Department. The Cabinet meeting commenced with the singing of Vande Mataram.

 

Electrification of 63,077 households : The Council of Ministers also approved Rs 366.72 crore under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA) for electrification of 63,077 unelectrified households and 650 unelectrified Government institutions through expansion of power infrastructure. Of the total amount, Rs 220.03 crore will be provided as a grant from the Central Government, while Rs 146.69 crore will be borne by the State Government. Additionally, approval was granted for an estimated cost of Rs 97 crore for off-grid electrification of 8,521 households through the Madhya Pradesh Energy Development Corporation. Under the scheme, the remaining project cost related to construction of the electricity distribution system, excluding the central grant component, will be provided by the State Government to the power distribution companies as equity capital. The entire expenditure for off-grid electrification through solar plus battery systems to be implemented by the MP Energy Development Corporation will be borne by the State Government.

 

State’s power distribution companies to carry out the electrification : As per the approved guidelines issued by the Government of India, electrification will be carried out by the State’s power distribution companies through online systems in settlements where the estimated cost is up to Rs 2 lakh per household, while adhering to the prescribed ceiling cost at the distribution company level. Houses located on agricultural fields, settlements with fewer than five houses, and remote habitations where the average electrification cost exceeds Rs 2 lakh per household will be electrified through 1 kW off-grid solar-battery systems by the MP Energy Development Corporation. IT cadre of the HC and DC gets one-time relaxation of five years: The Cabinet granted a one-time relaxation of five years in the upper age limit to employees working in the IT cadre of the High Court and District Courts, enabling them to participate in ongoing and future recruitment processes for technical cadres. At present, the upper age limit is 40 years for unreserved categories and 45 years for reserved categories.