Digital life certificates cross 40 lakh in first 5 days of campaign, up 60% from last year

Nearly 40 lakh digital life certificates (DLCs) have been generated by pensioners in the first five days of a nationwide campaign, marking a 60% increase over the corresponding period last year, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday.

The government launched the fifth edition of its Digital Life Certificate campaign on November 1. The month-long drive, which will continue till November 30, aims to make the annual life certificate submission process easier for pensioners through digital authentication.

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Around 25 lakh certificates were generated during the first five days of the campaign last year, compared with nearly 40 lakh this time, Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, said.

He also pointed to a rise in the use of face authentication, which accounted for nearly 80% of digital life certificates generated during the period, up from 61% last year.

Pensioners are required to submit a life certificate every year to continue receiving their pension. The Jeevan Pramaan platform allows them to complete the process digitally using biometric authentication, including facial recognition, without visiting a bank or government office.

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Addressing a press conference, Singh said the campaign has expanded into a nationwide effort involving government departments, pension-disbursing banks, pensioners' associations and family members.

He said the number of central government pensioners has risen to nearly 70 lakh, compared with around 50 lakh working employees. Singh added that longer life expectancy and better health conditions have increased the scope for senior citizens to contribute to nation-building even after retirement.

Referring to the government's vision of Viksit Bharat, the minister said elderly citizens should be provided with financial security, healthcare and a comfortable living environment so that they can remain active participants in the country's development.

Tracing the development of the digital life certificate system, Singh said the government moved from physical certificates to fingerprint-based biometric verification before introducing face authentication to address difficulties faced by elderly pensioners.

Of the 1.92 crore digital life certificates generated last year, around 1.17 crore were processed through face authentication, he said.

Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary, Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare, said the campaign focuses on improving access to pension services while reducing procedural hurdles for senior citizens.

She said camps are being organised at nearly 3,000 locations, including remote areas. Doorstep facilities have also been arranged for pensioners who are unable to travel to these centres.

The campaign seeks to promote digital access and ensure that pensioners can submit their life certificates without repeated visits to banks and government offices, she added.

Senior officials from the Railway Board, Department of Posts, defence accounts and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) were among those present at the event.