The Centre has unveiled a new Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for government employees, fulfilling a long-standing demand of government unions. The UPS guarantees pensioners half their last drawn salary as a lifelong monthly benefit, along with other features such as periodic dearness relief hikes and a minimum pension of ₹10,000 a month. The UPS is similar to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and differs from the New Pension Scheme (NPS) in terms of employee and government contributions. The announcement has received mixed responses from trade unions and political parties, with some welcoming the move and others criticizing it. The UPS is aimed at benefiting 23 lakh Central employees and could potentially include 90 lakh beneficiaries if State governments sign on.