In Brief
The Supreme Court held that employees of the Department of Posts on temporary deputation to the Army Postal Service are not entitled to One Rank One Pension (OROP), despite holding temporary military commissions. Although deputationists acquired military rank, they remained civil employees with continuing lien in their parent department. The Court found that relevant Army Instructions explicitly govern their service pension under civil rules, not military rules, and the OROP Circulars apply only to Defence establishment pensioners. The fact that deputationists retired at civil superannuation age (58–60 years) rather than the 54-year age applicable to regular commissioned officers confirmed their status as civil employees. The Court set aside the Armed Forces Tribunal's decision allowing OROP benefits.
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