Meghalaya rolls out centralised provident fund scheme for education staff

The Meghalaya Government has introduced a centralised provident fund scheme to extend pension and social security benefits to over 30,000 employees working in non-government schools and colleges, officials said on May 4.

The scheme, titled Meghalaya Non-Government School and College Employees Centralised Provident Fund Scheme, 2026, aims to bring a broad range of education sector employees under a single, professionally managed system. Beneficiaries include deficit teachers and lecturers, ad hoc teachers, SSA and RMSA teachers, Hindi and Science Grant teachers, pre-primary teachers, and non-teaching staff.

Calling it a major reform, the Education Department said the initiative “represents a significant and progressive reform” as it extends structured provident fund and pension benefits to a wide spectrum of employees. It added that integrating multiple categories under one framework would help “promote equity, transparency and sustainability”.

Officials indicated that the rollout has seen encouraging participation, with many employees opting into the scheme. The process of generating Permanent Retirement Account Numbers (PRANs) has already begun across several districts. “It is encouraging to note that many employees have come forward to enrol under the scheme, and the PRAN generation process is underway in multiple districts,” the statement said.

At the same time, sections of employees, particularly from deficit institutions, have raised concerns about certain provisions. The issue is currently under consideration before the High Court of Meghalaya. “The government has already placed the notified scheme before the Hon’ble High Court and is awaiting its decision,” the department said.

The government has also moved to engage stakeholders to address these concerns. A meeting with representatives of affected groups has been scheduled for May 6 at the Secretariat to discuss the issues and explore possible solutions.

Reaffirming its position, the department said it remains committed to “safeguarding the interests and welfare of all teachers and employees” and ensuring that implementation of the scheme is “fair, transparent and inclusive”.