Sudhakar Permanent teaching and non-teaching staff of government-affiliated medical and dental colleges and super-specialty hospitals in Karnataka have been brought under the New Pension Scheme (NPS), the state Medical Education Minister said on August 27.

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"The decision to implement the NPS which was a long-pending demand of our doctors and staff who are leading from the front in the fight against COVID gives me immense satisfaction," he said. As soon as he took charge as Medical Education Minister, an employees delegation met him to demand that they be included in the new pension scheme.

According to an official, he convinced the Chief Minister to approve the scheme, considering the selfless services medical staff rendered amid the COVID pandemic, and the Finance Department approved a proposal for implementation of NPS in the department.

As many as 5,949 employees from 27 institutions across the state are expected to benefit from the scheme, which will cost the state exchequer Rs 77 crore as it will apply on all permanent employees appointed after April 1, 2006. Earlier, he gave the nod for implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations for teaching staff of the Medical Education Department. He also met the demand of hiking the stipend of PG medical students, which was the same for several years.