The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority's (PFRDA) board has approved, in principle, a framework to permit Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) to independently set up Pension Funds to manage NPS, with the objective of strengthening the pension ecosystem, the Ministry of Finance noted, to enhance competition and safeguard subscriber interests. The proposed framework seeks to address existing regulatory constraints that had limited bank participation till now. By introducing a clearly defined eligibility criteria based on net worth, market capitalisation and prudential soundness in line with RBI norms, it will ensure that only well-capitalised and systemically robust banks are permitted to sponsor Pension Funds. A pension fund is an intermediary responsible for receiving contributions, accumulating them, and making payments to subscribers as specified by regulations.