Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: In a huge relief for senior citizens who have to produce Life Certificates each year to continue receiving pension, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday launched "Jeevan Pramaan" – an "Aadhar-based Digital Life Certificate" for pensioners.
It is a move that could eventually benefit over a crore pensioners.
Launching the certificate, Modi said 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.
Developed by the Department of Electronics and IT, a software application 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, there are over a crore pensioners withrawing pension from the Central Government, state and UT govts, besides those from the armed forces and the PSUs firms.
