Mandatory Registration of Offline NPS Grievances by POPs in CRA CGMS Portals

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority has directed all Points of Presence operating under the National Pension System framework to mandatorily record every grievance received from subscribers in offline mode into the respective Central Recordkeeping Agency Centralized Grievance Management System portals. This move brings all complaints—whether raised directly by the assessee online or lodged physically/through POP channels—into a single, trackable digital trail for effective supervision by the regulator.

Regulatory Background and Objective

The circular, PFRDA/2026/8/GC/01 dated 02.02.2026, has been issued by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority under the authority granted by the PFRDA Act, 2013. The core purpose is to:

  • Ensure that every grievance within the NPS ecosystem is captured in a standardized, centralized manner
  • Eliminate information gaps between grievances filed online and those raised at the POP level
  • Enhance supervisory visibility for PFRDA across all Central Recordkeeping Agencies
  • Facilitate better monitoring, analytics, and regulatory oversight for NPS service delivery

Regulatory basis:
This directive derives its force from the provisions of the PFRDA Act, 2013, empowering PFRDA to regulate, supervise and oversee the National Pension System and related intermediaries.

Existing NPS Grievance Mechanism – How It Works Today

Access to CRA Systems by Nodal Offices and POPs

Under the current NPS architecture, all nodal offices, including Points of Presence, are provided with unique login credentials for the respective CRA platforms. Using these logins, POPs and other nodal entities can perform multiple functions, such as:

  • Onboarding new subscribers
  • Uploading and verifying contributions
  • Processing exit/withdrawal requests
  • Raising grievances or service requests on behalf of subscribers

POPs, therefore, already have system access and familiarity with the CRA interfaces, including the grievance modules.

Subscriber Access to CGMS Portals

Subscribers under NPS can independently use the Centralized Grievance Management System portals of each CRA to lodge complaints related to:

  • Delays or deficiencies in service delivery
  • Contribution-related issues
  • Account statement, PRAN, or recordkeeping discrepancies
  • Exit, withdrawal, or transfer problems

Subscribers log in to the CRA-specific CGMS portal, file grievances online, and receive a system-generated unique token number. This token serves for:

  • Acknowledgement and tracking of the complaint
  • Monitoring timelines for resolution
  • Analytical and supervisory review by PFRDA

Identified Gap: Offline Grievances at POP Level

Despite the robust online CGMS framework, PFRDA observed a significant gap:

  • Grievances directly raised by subscribers on CRA CGMS platforms are logged, traceable, and visible to PFRDA.
  • However, complaints lodged offline at the POP counters were often being handled locally without being captured in any centralized system.

This led to:

  • Incomplete grievance statistics at the system-wide level
  • Inability to fully assess the quality and timeliness of service delivered by POPs
  • Lack of comprehensive data for regulatory review and analytics
  • Reduced transparency across the grievance redressal chain

New Mandatory Requirement for POPs

To address the above deficiency, PFRDA has now mandated that all POPs must: