Who among the following can join the National Pension System (NPS) ?
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Answer: C. Option A is wrong because Non-Resident Indians can also join NPS. Option B is wrong because the entry age was 18 to 60 at the time of the exam (raised to 65 later in 2017 and to 70 in 2021). Option D is wrong because the Armed Forces are kept out of NPS. Option C is correct: State Government employees who join after the date their State notifies NPS are covered. So the answer is C.
Watch for: Watch for option D: it looks right because of the 1 April 2004 date, but 'including Armed Forces' makes it wrong.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because NRIs can also subscribe to NPS.
- B. Wrong because the age band was 18 to 60, not 21 to 55.
- D. Wrong because the Armed Forces are excluded from NPS.
Source to check: PFRDA, National Pension System FAQs and eligibility (pfrda.org.in); Ministry of Finance notification of 22 December 2003
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.