Govt targets 100% pensioner coverage under digital life certificate campaign

The Centre on Tuesday called for 100 per cent coverage of pensioners under the fifth nationwide Digital Life Certificate (DLC) campaign, emphasising the use of face authentication technology to simplify the process of submitting annual life certificates and reduce dependence on physical visits to banks.

The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) made the appeal during a mega camp organised in collaboration with Punjab National Bank (PNB) at its Parliament Street branch in New Delhi.

The initiative, being conducted from November 1 to 30 across 2,000 cities and districts, aims to make digital pension services more accessible, particularly for elderly pensioners and those living in remote areas.

According to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the campaign seeks to facilitate pensioners and family pensioners in submitting their certificates through face authentication while increasing awareness about digital services.

𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿

Addressing the gathering, DoPPW Secretary Nivedita Shukla Verma stressed that pensioners remained central to the department's initiatives and that the campaign's success depended on reaching every eligible beneficiary.

She particularly emphasised extending digital services to pensioners in remote areas, where access to bank branches and administrative facilities could be difficult.

Verma highlighted that more than 14 lakh pensioners aged 80 years and above had submitted their Digital Life Certificates during the previous campaign, describing the achievement as a significant step towards greater digital inclusion.

She encouraged pensioners to become ambassadors of digital empowerment by sharing their experiences and motivating others to adopt face authentication technology.

The technology allows pensioners to generate life certificates from their homes using smartphones, eliminating the need to visit bank branches or depend on others for assistance.

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺

DoPPW Joint Secretary Dhrubajyoti Sengupta said Digital Life Certificate services had evolved considerably since their introduction in 2014.

He noted that the introduction of face authentication technology in 2021 had made the process more convenient and accessible, especially for elderly pensioners.

According to Sengupta, the number of certificates generated through face authentication increased from approximately 50 lakh to around 1.25 crore during the previous campaign.

The digital facility forms part of the government's efforts to simplify the annual verification process required for the continuation of pension payments.

Through the Jeevan Pramaan system, pensioners can submit their life certificates electronically without relying exclusively on conventional physical verification procedures.

𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀

The department also highlighted the availability of doorstep services through banks and post offices for pensioners who cannot attend camps or complete the digital process independently.

The ongoing nationwide campaign involves coordination among pension-disbursing banks, India Post Payments Bank, pensioners' welfare associations, government departments and technology agencies.

The government has set a target of generating 2.30 crore Digital Life Certificates during the month-long exercise, including 1.50 crore through face authentication.

The campaign involves 19 banks, 785 district post offices and 56 pensioners' welfare associations, alongside other participating organisations.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Unique Identification Authority of India are providing technical support for the initiative.

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀

Apart from facilitating certificate submissions, the PNB mega camp provided opportunities for senior pensioners to interact with officials and access medical services.

The nationwide campaign also includes health check-ups, Aadhaar updation facilities and grievance redressal support.

Senior DoPPW officials will monitor implementation through field reviews, while special camps will be organised in areas with a high concentration of pensioners.

The department said the initiative reflected its commitment to making pension-related services more accessible, secure and convenient while encouraging greater adoption of digital technology among senior citizens.