Srinagar, Nov 05: The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare has launched the much-anticipated Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 2.0, a transformative initiative set to bring revolutionary changes in pensioner services. The campaign, scheduled to run from November 1st to November 30th, will encompass 500 locations across 100 cities, covering all States and Union Territories in India.
This milestone campaign represents a ‘Whole of Government’ approach, uniting all stakeholders on a single platform to streamline the process of submitting digital life certificates. The innovative Face Authentication Submission of Digital Life Certificate is poised to simplify and enhance the experience for pensioners, ensuring their ‘Ease of Living.’
In a bid to elevate the quality of life for Central Government pensioners, the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare has been actively promoting Digital Life Certificates (DLC), also known as Jeevan Pramaan, since its inception in 2014. Initially, the submission of DLCs relied on biometric devices. Subsequently, the Department collaborated with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to develop a Face Authentication technology system based on Aadhar database. This technology enables pensioners to submit their Life Certificates from any Android-based smartphone, establishing their identity through face authentication. This cutting-edge technology, introduced in November 2021, greatly reduced the reliance on external biometric devices, making the process more accessible and affordable to the masses by leveraging smartphone-based technology.
To promote awareness and encourage the use of DLC/Face Authentication technology, the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare conducted a nationwide campaign in November 2022, covering 37 cities across the country, resulting in the issuance of over 35 lakh DLCs to Central Government pensioners. Building on this success, the Department is now conducting a nationwide campaign from November 1st to November 30th, 2023, across 100 cities, targeting an impressive 50 lakh pensioners. This campaign is carried out in collaboration with 17 pension disbursing banks, Ministries/Departments, Pensioners’ Welfare Associations, UIDAI, and MeitY.
In an effort to ensure that pensioners in even the most remote areas of the country, including super senior, sick, or incapacitated pensioners, can benefit from digital modes of Life Certificate submission, a comprehensive circular with detailed guidelines has been issued. These guidelines define the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, including Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, Pension Disbursing Banks, and Pensioners’ Associations. The guidelines involve the nomination of nodal officers for the campaign, spreading awareness through banners and posters placed in strategic locations, using DLC/Face Authentication technique during Doorstep banking services, equipping bank branch staff with Android phones to facilitate technology use, holding camps for pensioners to submit their DLCs promptly, and providing home visits for bedridden pensioners.
Pensioners’ Welfare Associations have also been encouraged to organize camps for pensioners to facilitate DLC submissions. Vishal Kumar, Under Secretary to the Government of India from the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, will be visiting various locations in Srinagar from November 6th to November 7th, 2023, to assist pensioners in using digital modes to submit their Life Certificates.
The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare is fully committed to making the Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 2.0 a resounding success throughout the nation, offering pensioners a seamless and efficient way to maintain their life certificates and improve their overall quality of life.
