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.
