PM
launches Jeevan Pramaan – Digital Life Certificate for Pensioners
Huge relief for senior
citizens who have to produce Life Certificates each year to continue receiving
pension
The Prime Minister,
Shri Narendra Modi, today launched "Jeevan Pramaan" – an
"Aadhar-based Digital Life Certificate" for pensioners, in a move
that could eventually benefit over a crore pensioners. The Prime
Minister said that after the push towards self-certification, this digital life
certificate was another enabling mechanism which would benefit the common man.
The proposed digital
certification will do away with the requirement of a pensioner having to submit
a physical Life Certificate in November each year, in order to ensure
continuity of pension being credited into his account. The Department of
Electronics and IT has developed a software application which will enable the
recording of the pensioner`s Aadhar number and biometric details from his
mobile device or computer, by plugging in a biometric reading device. Key
details of the pensioner, including date, time, and biometric information will
be uploaded to a central database on real-time basis, ultimately enabling the
Pension Disbursing Agency to access a Digital Life Certificate. This will
conclusively establish that the pensioner was alive at the time of authentication.
The earlier
requirement entailed that a pensioner either personally presents himself before
the Pension Disbursing Agency, or submits a Life Certificate issued by
authorities specified by the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO).
At present, 50 lakh
individuals draw pension from the Central Government alone. A similar number
draw pension from State and Union Territory Governments. Several PSUs also
provide pension benefits. Over 25 lakh retired personnel draw pension from the
Armed Forces. The Aadhar-Based Digital Life Certificate will go a long way in
reducing hardship which so many senior citizens have to go through to produce a
Life Certificate every year.
The software
application system will be made available to pensioners and other stakeholders
on a large scale at no extra cost. It can be operated on a personal computer or
a smartphone, along with an inexpensive biometric reading device. This facility
will also be made available at Common Service Centres being operated under the
National e-Governance Plan, for the benefit of pensioners residing in remote
and inaccessible areas.
