Original Application becomes infructuous upon grant of Old Pension Scheme benefits to absorbed employees.

Sixteen applicants, employees or former employees of the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), filed an Original Application seeking to be shifted from the New Pension Scheme (NPS) to the Old GPF-cum-Pension Scheme

The applicants contended that they were entitled to this benefit as they were appointed under the "IIP casual/contractual workers absorption scheme, 2000" and were similarly situated to other casual workers covered under Office Memorandum No. Rectt/CCS(Pension) Rule 1972/2023-Pers dated 03.10.2023

While the matter was pending, the respondents voluntarily implemented the transition, granting the applicants the benefits of the Old Pension Scheme

1. Whether the applicants are entitled to the benefit of the Old GPF-cum-Pension Scheme pursuant to the "IIP casual/contractual workers absorption scheme, 2000" and relevant Office Memoranda

2. Whether the Original Application survives for adjudication in light of the respondents' administrative action granting the sought relief

The Tribunal exercised its jurisdiction under Section 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985

The substantive legal basis for the applicants' claim was rooted in the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 (now 2021) and the specific "IIP casual/contractual workers absorption scheme, 2000," supplemented by the Office Memorandum No. Rectt/CCS(Pension) Rule 1972/2023-Pers dated 03.10.2023, which governs the conversion of certain casual/contractual employees to the pensionable establishment

The Tribunal noted the submissions from the counsel for both parties, who admitted that the reliefs sought by the applicants had already been granted during the pendency of the proceedings

The respondents successfully shifted the applicants from the NPS to the Old Pension Scheme, thereby fulfilling the primary prayer of the application

Consequently, the Tribunal reasoned that since the grievance was redressed through administrative action, no live legal dispute remained for judicial determination. The application was thus deemed to have reached a state where any further adjudication would be academic

Regarding O.A. No. 3424/2025, the Tribunal held that the matter had become infructuous due to the respondents' voluntary compliance with the applicants' demands

The Original Application was disposed of as infructuous with no order as to costs, and all pending Miscellaneous Applications were similarly closed