☀️ Schemes
Govt aims for 100% pensioner coverage in fifth Digital Life Certificate campaign
In 60 seconds: The pensions department wants every pensioner covered under the fifth nationwide Digital Life Certificate campaign. With Punjab National Bank, it held a camp in Delhi where pensioners submitted certificates using face authentication. Officials said pensioners can make the certificate at home on a smartphone, without visiting a bank. Over 14 lakh pensioners aged 80 and above submitted certificates in the previous campaign, and banks and post offices offer doorstep services.
Why it matters
A pension continues only after the pensioner proves each year that they are alive. Doing it from home saves older people long queues and bank trips.
Explain it simply
It is like a school attendance check that used to need you to stand in a line at the office. Now you can mark yourself present with a quick selfie from your own living room.
The 3-minute read
What happened
The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) wants all pensioners and family pensioners covered under Campaign 5. The joint camp with Punjab National Bank in Delhi also had a medical camp and a chance for senior pensioners to meet officials.
Background
Digital Life Certificates have been available since 2014, and face authentication was added in 2021. In the previous campaign, certificates made through face authentication rose from about 50 lakh to roughly 1.25 crore, officials said.
How it works
A pensioner uses a smartphone camera for face authentication to generate the certificate at home. Those who cannot manage it themselves can use banks and post offices, which offer doorstep services.
What's next
DoPPW Secretary Nivedita Shukla Verma said the campaign must reach every pensioner, including those in remote areas, and urged pensioners to tell others about face authentication.
What it means for you
If you or a parent draws a pension, try the smartphone route or ask the bank or post office for a doorstep visit, so the pension does not get held up.
Key numbers
- 14 lakh: Pensioners aged 80+ who submitted certificates in the last campaign
- 1.25 crore: Face-authentication certificates in the last campaign (from about 50 lakh)
- 2014: Year the Digital Life Certificate was introduced
- 2021: Year face authentication was rolled out
Both sides
- Do it yourself: The department says pensioners can generate the certificate at home on a smartphone, with no bank visit or help from others.
- Get help: For pensioners who cannot attend camps or do it alone, banks and post offices offer doorstep services.
Key terms explained
- Digital Life Certificate
- An online proof that a pensioner is alive, which keeps the pension going.
- Face authentication
- Verifying a person by matching their face through a smartphone camera.
The story so far
- 2014: The Digital Life Certificate service is introduced. A Department of Pension official said Digital Life Certificate services have changed a great deal since they were introduced in 2014.
- 2021: Face authentication is rolled out. Face authentication, which lets a pensioner create the certificate with a smartphone camera, was rolled out in 2021.
- 3 Nov 2026: Delhi camp pushes for full coverage in Campaign 5. The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare and Punjab National Bank held a camp in Delhi where pensioners submitted certificates using face authentication.
- Today: Fifth Digital Life Certificate campaign aims to cover every pensioner
Exam notes (UPSC, SSC, Banking, PSC)
- The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) works under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
- The Digital Life Certificate, also known as Jeevan Pramaan, was introduced in 2014; face authentication was added in 2021.
- A pensioner must submit a life certificate every year to keep receiving the pension.
- Article 41, a Directive Principle, asks the State to make effective provision for public assistance in cases such as old age.
Likely exam question: How can digital services make public service delivery easier for senior citizens? Discuss with reference to the Digital Life Certificate.