Source: DD News; Zee News; Ministry of Labour Press Release dated 2 March 2026; ClearTax; Upstox News
The Central Board of Trustees of EPFO, chaired by Labour Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya at its 239th meeting, approved retaining the EPF interest rate at 8.25% for FY 2025-26, the same rate as the previous year. This benefits over 7 crore subscribers. The Board also approved: a pilot project for auto-settlement of inoperative accounts with balances of ₹1,000 or less; a new simplified SOP for EPF exemptions consolidating four existing SOPs into one; an amnesty scheme for exempted establishments to resolve compliance issues within a six-month window (expected to resolve over 100 active litigation cases); and notification of new social security schemes to align with the Code on Social Security, 2020.