NPS Complaint and PFRDA Grievance Escalation in India

If your NPS contribution, withdrawal or account issue is not fixed, lodge a Level 1 grievance through the Central Grievance Management System (CGMS) on your CRA portal, then climb a five-level PFRDA escalation ladder up to the Securities Appellate Tribunal. Grievances under the National Pension System (NPS) and the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) are handled under the PFRDA (Redressal of Subscriber Grievance) Regulations, 2015, which set a defined Turn Around Time (TAT) at each stage so a complaint cannot be left open indefinitely.

1. Level 1 - CGMS via your CRA. Raise the grievance through the Central Grievance Management System on your Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) web portal, mobile app or call centre. It is routed to the concerned intermediary or nodal office and must be resolved within a TAT of 30 days.
2. Level 2 - NPS Trust. If it is not resolved in 30 days, or you are not satisfied with the reply, escalate to the National Pension System Trust (NPS Trust). TAT is 21 days.
3. Level 3 - PFRDA Ombudsman. If you are still dissatisfied or get no reply, file an appeal or complaint with the Ombudsman appointed by PFRDA.
4. Level 4 - Designated Member of PFRDA. A representation for revision against the Ombudsman's award lies to the Designated Member of PFRDA.
5. Level 5 - Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT). If you remain dissatisfied with the Designated Member's order, the further recourse is to the Securities Appellate Tribunal.

1. Identify your CRA. Your account sits with one of the PFRDA-appointed Central Recordkeeping Agencies: Protean eGov Technologies (formerly NSDL e-Governance), KFin Technologies, or CAMS. Your PRAN welcome kit and login page show which one.
2. Log in to the CRA portal or app using your PRAN and password, or use the CRA call centre if you cannot log in.
3. Open the grievance or CGMS section and select the grievance category that matches your issue (contribution not credited, withdrawal delay, wrong details, and so on).
4. Describe the problem and attach proof such as a contribution receipt, transaction reference or screenshot. Submit and note the token or grievance reference number generated.
5. Track the status using that reference. The intermediary must respond within the 30-day TAT.
6. Escalate to Level 2 (NPS Trust) if there is no resolution within 30 days or you are dissatisfied, then onward to the Ombudsman, the Designated Member and SAT as needed.

• Contribution deducted but not credited to your PRAN, or credited to the wrong account.
• Delay or rejection of a partial or final withdrawal or exit request.
• Errors in nominee, bank, address, mobile or other account details.
• Wrong scheme preference, fund manager or allocation not updated.
• Unit or NAV mismatch and disputed deductions or charges.
• APY-related issues such as auto-debit failures or pension amount disputes.

• Your PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number).
• The CRA your account is held with.
• Date and amount of the disputed transaction.
• Proof of contribution or deduction (salary slip, bank statement, transaction receipt or upload acknowledgement).
• Any earlier grievance reference number if you are escalating.

• Skipping Level 1 and writing straight to PFRDA. The matrix is sequential; start at CGMS through your CRA.
• Not saving the grievance reference number, which you need to escalate.
• Escalating before the TAT lapses. Wait out the 30-day and 21-day windows unless the reply itself is unsatisfactory.
• Filing under the wrong category, which routes the complaint to the wrong office.
• Sending vague complaints with no transaction date, amount or proof attached.

The PFRDA grievance ladder is the main and fastest route for an NPS complaint, so use CGMS first. RTI is a complementary tool, mainly for government-sector subscribers: if your employer deducted NPS but the contribution does not appear in your PRAN, you can file an RTI with the Public Information Officer (PIO) of your government nodal office or Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) to obtain your contribution, deduction and upload records. Those records then strengthen your CGMS grievance and any escalation. Our AI RTI Drafter can prepare that letter, and The RTI Playbook explains the appeal route if the PIO does not reply.

In May 2026 PFRDA released an exposure draft that proposes changing the escalation matrix, including the role at Level 2 and the timelines. This is a proposal and is not yet notified, so the framework above, under the 2015 Regulations, remains the current law. Treat any shorter timelines or new bodies you read about as not yet in force until PFRDA notifies them.

At Level 1, through the Central Grievance Management System (CGMS) on your CRA web portal, mobile app or call centre. The concerned intermediary must resolve it within a 30-day TAT.

At Level 2, the NPS Trust has a TAT of 21 days from the date you escalate. You move there if Level 1 is not resolved within 30 days or the reply does not satisfy you.

The Ombudsman is appointed by PFRDA and sits at Level 3. You approach the Ombudsman if you are dissatisfied with the NPS Trust resolution or get no reply. A revision against the Ombudsman's award then lies to the Designated Member of PFRDA at Level 4.

If you are still dissatisfied with the Designated Member of PFRDA at Level 4, the final recourse is to the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) at Level 5.

Yes. A government-sector subscriber can file an RTI with the PIO of the nodal office or DDO to get contribution and upload records, which support the CGMS grievance. The AI RTI Drafter can draft it.

• PFRDA, Grievance Redressal Mechanism under NPS and APY - pfrda.org.in
• NPS Trust, Grievances FAQ - npstrust.org.in
• PFRDA (Redressal of Subscriber Grievance) Regulations, 2015

Related guides:

• Apply for Atal Pension Yojana 2026
• Atal Pension Yojana death claim for spouse or nominee
• The RTI Playbook
• AI RTI Drafter