PUBLIC PROVIDENT FUND (AMENDMENT) SCHEME, 2016

PREAMBLE

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section of (4) of section 3 of the Public Provident Fund Act, 1968 (23 of 1968), the Central Government hereby makes the following scheme further to amend the Public Provident Fund Scheme, 1968, namely:

Scheme - 1.

(1)     This Scheme may be called Public Provident Fund (Amendment) Scheme, 2016.

(2)     It shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

Scheme - 2.

In the Public Provident Fund Scheme, 1968, in Paragraph 9, for sub-rule 3(C), the following subparagraph shall be substituted, namely:

"(3C) A subscriber shall be allowed premature closure of his account or the account of a minor of whom he is the guardian, on a written application to the Accounts Office, on any of the following grounds namely:

(i)       that the amount is required for the treatment of serious ailments or life threatening diseases of the account holder, spouse or dependent children or parents, on production of supporting documents from competent medical authority;

(ii)      that the amount is required for higher education of the account holder or the minor account holder, on production of documents and fee bills in confirmation of admission in a recognised institute of higher education in India or abroad:

Provided that such premature closure shall be allowed only after the account has completed five financial years:

Provided further that premature closure under this sub-paragraph shall be subject to deduction of such amount which shall be equivalent to one percent less interest on the interest rates as applicable from time to time in the table payable on the deposits held in the account from the date of opening of the account till the date of such premature closure, calculated in accordance with the sample calculation as shown in the table on next page:

Calculation showing the interest payable to depositor