The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) has called for complete coverage of pensioners under the nationwide Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Campaign 5, urging beneficiaries across the country to adopt digital methods for submitting their annual life certificates. The initiative will make the submission process easier, particularly for elderly pensioners and those who may find it difficult to visit bank branches. The department is also focusing on extending the campaign’s reach to pensioners residing in remote parts of the country.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, DoPPW and Punjab National Bank (PNB) jointly organised a special camp in Delhi to help pensioners and family pensioners generate their Digital Life Certificates using face authentication technology.
The camp was also designed to familiarise beneficiaries with digital services and demonstrate how technology can simplify pension-related formalities.
“The PNB Mega Camp also facilitated interaction with senior pensioners and provided access to a medical camp alongside the DLC services. The initiative reaffirmed DoPPW’s commitment to promoting accessible, secure and pensioner-centric digital services,” the Ministry said.
DoPPW Targets 100% Digital Life Certificate Coverage
Addressing pensioners at the event, DoPPW Secretary Nivedita Shukla Verma emphasised that the campaign must reach every eligible beneficiary, including those living in geographically distant and remote locations.
She pointed to the participation of elderly beneficiaries in the previous edition as an encouraging development. More than 14 lakh pensioners aged 80 years and above had submitted their Digital Life Certificates during the last campaign, highlighting the growing acceptance of digital services among senior citizens.
Verma also encouraged pensioners who have already adopted the technology to share their experiences with others. She said that greater awareness and peer-to-peer encouragement could help bring more beneficiaries into the digital system.
How Face Authentication Makes DLC Submission Easier
Face authentication technology has emerged as an important tool in making the Digital Life Certificate process more accessible. Pensioners can use their smartphones to complete the authentication and generate their certificates from the comfort of their homes.
This eliminates the need to travel to bank branches or seek assistance from another person to complete the process. The facility is particularly beneficial for elderly pensioners and individuals with mobility-related difficulties.
The government is encouraging wider adoption of this facility to reduce the physical effort involved in submitting life certificates and make the annual exercise more convenient.
Digital Life Certificate
DoPPW Joint Secretary Dhrubajyoti Sengupta highlighted the progress made in digital pension services since the introduction of Digital Life Certificates in 2014.
He noted that the adoption of the system received a further boost in 2021 with the introduction of face authentication technology, which provided pensioners with another convenient way to complete the verification process.
The impact of this development was reflected in the number of certificates generated through the technology. According to Sengupta, the figure increased from approximately 50 lakh to around 1.25 crore during the previous campaign.
Doorstep DLC Services Available For Elderly Pensioners
For pensioners who cannot attend organised camps or independently complete the digital verification process, alternative assistance is also available.
Sengupta stressed that banks and post offices provide doorstep services to beneficiaries who are unable to visit their premises. These arrangements are intended to ensure that physical limitations or difficulties in accessing digital facilities do not prevent pensioners from submitting their life certificates.
