Digital Life Certificate (DLC): Guide

Indian Military Veterans

Digital Life Certificate (DLC): Guide 

Learn how to submit a digital life certificate for retirees. Ensure timely and error-free pension payments with digital life certificates for military pensioners.

 Introduction

 A life certificate (digital life certificate/manual life certificate) is a document that proves that a pensioner is alive and entitled to receive a pension. Pension disbursing authorities (PDAs) such as banks and post offices must ensure that pensions are not paid to  deceased people or fraudsters. 

Traditionally, pensioners had to either report directly to the PDA (bank, post office, etc.) or obtain a life certificate from a particular authority and submit it annually to the PDA. This could be a difficult and inconvenient issue, especially for older and less physically able pensioners who may have to travel far  or may have problems obtaining the certificate

 To solve this problem, the Government of India has introduced digital platforms such as Jeevan Pramaan and SPARSH that allow pensioners to submit their life certificate online using Aadhaar or other identity verification methods. These platforms use biometric  or facial recognition to verify the identity and presence of the retiree and create a digital life certificate that is stored in a central repository and accessible through the PDA. 

This article explains the types of digital life certificates, benefits, and submission procedures, and provides tips and resources for Defence retirees to ease the transition.

 Understanding PDA and PSA Pension

 Disbursement Authority (PDA) and Pension Sanctioning Authority (PSA) are two different authorities involved in  pension processing and disbursement of government pensioners. 

 Pension Payment Authority (PDA): 

The PDA is the authority responsible for disbursing pensions to  pensioners. This can be a bank,  post office or  other authorized institution. The PDA accesses the pensioner's digital life certificate  from a central repository, ensuring timely and error-free pension payments. 

Pension Sanctions Authority (PSA): 

The PSA is the authority  responsible for  pension sanctions against pensioners. This could be a ministry,  department, or  other organization. The PSA verifies the pensioner's pension documents  and issues a Pension Payment Order (PPO) to the PDA. 

Types of life certificate

 There are two types of life certificates: manual and digital. 

Manual End of Life Certificate: 

This is the traditional method of submitting a End of Life Certificate. This involves obtaining a physical copy of the certificate from a designated authority, such as a public official, bank manager, or judge, and submitting it to her PDA, either in person or by mail. Certificates must be presented annually, usually in November. 

Digital Life Certificate: 

This is a new and improved way to submit a life certificate. Digital platforms like Jeevan Pramaan and SPARSH are used to submit certificates online using Aadhaar or other identification methods. Certificates are instantly generated, stored in a central repository, and accessed via a PDA. Certificates can be submitted at any time throughout the year. 

Advantages of digital life certificate 

Submitting your life certificate using a digital platform offers many benefits, including:

 Convenience: 

Pensioners do not need to visit the PDA or relevant authorities in person or mail the certificate. You can submit your certificate from  home or at a nearby service center using your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or biometric device. 

Security: 

Retirees do not have to share their personal or financial information with anyone. The digital platform verifies the pensioner's identity and presence using Aadhaar or other  identification methods and generates a unique digital life certificate number that is encrypted and secure. 

Hassle-free pension payments: 

Pensioners do not have to worry about delays or mistakes in pension payments due to missing or inaccurate life certificates. The digital platform ensures that  life certificates are updated in the PDA's system and that pensions are paid on time and smoothly. 

How to submit a digital vital certificate 

The two main digital platforms that pensioners can use to submit life certificates are Jeevan Pramaan and his SPARSH. 

Jeevan Praman 

Jeevan Pramaan is a biometric digital service for pensioners of central government, state governments and other government departments. Aadhaar is used for  biometric authentication of pensioners. A defense pensioner can verify her survival online using her Aadhaar number and biometric data such as fingerprints and eye scans. No need to travel anywhere or ship anything. This can be done from your home or from a nearby center offering Jeevan Pramaan service. Click here to visit Jeevan Pramaan website.

 SPARSH

 SPARSH is a digital platform for military pensioners. Army, Navy, Air Force and Defense civilians. To submit a digital life certificate, Aadhaar or other forms of identification such as  Manual Life Certificate (MLC) or Jeevan Pramaan are used.

 MLC and DLC are two ways to submit a digital life certificate on the SPARSH portal. MLC stands for Manual Life Certificate and is a physical copy of the certificate that is uploaded to the portal. DLC stands for Digital Life Certificate, which is a certificate  generated online using Aadhaar or Jeevan Pramaan. MLC requires facial recognition, while DLC requires biometric authentication. Both MLC and DLC are stored in a central repository and are available to pension payers. 

Click here to visit SPARSH portal

Tips and Resources To ease the transition from manual to digital life certification, here are some tips and resources for veterans: 

• Update your mobile number, Aadhaar number, PAN, and bank account details with the PDA Pension Disbursing Authority) and the pension sanctioning authority (PSA) to ensure smooth communication and pension payment.

• Find a mentor or a friend who has already used the digital platforms to submit a life certificate and seek their guidance and support.

• Utilize the support services and programs offered by the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, the Kendriya Sainik Board, and various ex-servicemen associations for veterans. These include pension grievance redressal, welfare schemes, skill development, health care, education, employment, etc.

• Visit the official websites of Jeevan Pramaan and SPARSH for more information, FAQs, user manuals, videos, and helpline numbers.

CONCLUSION

A digital-life-certificate is a convenient, secure, and hassle-free way of submitting a life-certificate for pensioners. It eliminates the need to physically visit the PDA or the designated authority and ensures timely and error-free pension disbursement. Defence pensioners can use Jeevan Pramaan or SPARSH to submit their life-certificates online using Aadhaar or other modes of identification. They can also avail of various tips and resources to make the transition easier and access various pension-related services. We encourage all defence pensioners to use digital platforms to submit their life-certificates and enjoy the benefits of digital India

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