UPSC CSE Prelims

Correct Option: C Explanation: Under the NPS rules relevant in 2017, state governments could adopt NPS for employees joining after their notified implementation dates. Armed-forces personnel were excluded from the cited mandatory central-employee coverage. Option-wise Analysis: A: Incorrect - NPS participation was not restricted to resident Indians only; eligible non-resident Indians could join. B: Incorrect - NPS was not limited to ages 21–55; eligibility ages were broader. C: Correct - Correct-post-notification State Government recruits were brought into NPS where adopted. D: Incorrect - The mandatory central-government coverage from 1 January 2004 excluded the armed forces; the date and scope here are wrong. Review Note: NPS age eligibility and coverage rules have since evolved; answer follows the 2017 framing.