Indian Military Veterans: SPARSH - LATEST DETAILS

SPARSH - LATEST DETAILS - LIFE CERTIFICATE

THIS IS OUR LATEST & CONSOLIDATED ACTION POST ON MIGRATION TO SPARSH FOR ACTIVATING YOUR ACCT AND SUBMISSION OF ANNUAKL LIFE CERTIFICATE- Updated on 20 OCT 2023 -

SPARSH SOME RECENT ASPECTS

SPARSH is the acronym used for “System for Pension Administration Raksha” and is an integrated system for automation of sanction and disbursement of Defence Pension. It implies that your pension account still remains in the same bank & branch but the processing activity of pension credit, which was being done by the bank’s CPPC gets shifted from the Bank to SPARSH under the aegis of PCDA(P) Priyagraj. In effect it means that all activities related to your pension will now be with PCDA(P) after your migration to SPARSH and Banks will have nothing to do

with your pension activities. The Banks CPPCs hereafter have no role in the disbursement of your pension or Life Certificates. Those pensioners who have not received their OROP-2 Arrears from the banks will now receive the arrears from Sparsh. One must put up grievance on the Sparsh Account for the same

The process of migration of the remaining pensioners is already in advanced stage.

As regards the submission of Annual Life Certificate (ALC) is concerned, it will now be submitted to SPARSH on line using JEEVAN PRAMAAN DIGITAL FACILITY by generating Digital Life certificate (DLC). However as an alternative Mannual Life Certificate (MLC) can also be submitted after generating the MLC on Sparsh and then after manual verification by uploading on your SPARSH Account. The third methos of submission through POST Office is also available and can be used on payment of some fee. We have given full details of the processes subsequently in this web page.

Very soon each and every SPARSH Pensioner will be migrated and allotted with a 12 digit Pensioner ID number. It should be kept in mind that, your 12 digit Pensioner ID is your SPARSH PPO Number too. Another important fact is that, if you add 01 to your Pensioner ID as Suffix, then this 14 digit number will be your SPARSH Username to login your SPARSH account.

For example, if your Pensioner ID is 236201500203, then your SPARSH PPO No is also the same 236201500203 and your Username is 23620150020301.

The Password as forwarded by SPARSH, is a System Generated Password & it should be changed immediately and a new Strong Password should be created by the Pensioner for the Safety & Security of his SPARSH Account. Ok

Now let's analyse how the SPARSH PPO number has been allotted to the Pensioners. Actually the SPARSH PPO number is assigned in a logical way and here each digit has its own indication.

The SPARSH PPO No is a 12 digit number. Out of 12 digits, the first three digits ( from L to R) indicate the Service and Category of the Pensioner. Here Service refers to - Army, Navy, Air Force & Defence Civillian and Category refers to - Officer & Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR). Details of the same is enumerated below --

101 - Army Officers RCO

104 - ditto - (We also see number with 199 for army veteran)

102 - Army officers of AMC, RVC, MNS, ADC & TA

201 to 250 - Army JCOs & ORs

301 - Navy Officers

401 - Navy PBOR

501 - Air Force Officers

601 - Air Force PBOR

402 - Defence Civilian Officers

701 - IDAS (Indian Defence Accounts Service) Officers

801 - Defence Civilian PBOR.

5. For further clarity of the above facts, let's take an example of a SPARSH PPO No, so to say - 236201500203. For better understanding, let's re-arrange the 12 digits of this PPO number will be - 2 36-2015-00203.

(a) The first two digit ( 2) indicates the Pensioner is from Army (because 1,2 & 4 are allotted to Army). And the 2nd & 3rd digit ( 36) indicate the Record office of the Pensioner. Record Offices of the Army have been allotted Code numbers from 01 to 50. In this series, 36 is allotted to AEC Records. Hence 236 indicates that, this PPO belongs to an Army Pensioner & his RO is AEC Records. Some other Record Offices have been allotted the following codes -

ASC (S) Records - 40

ASC (MT) Records - 41

MEG Records - 22

and so on......

(b) 4th to 7th digit ( 2015) indicate the Year of Retirement of the Pensioner.

(c) 8th to 12th digit, that means the last five digits indicate the Running serial number of PPO. In this case it is 00203

6. Further, when the first Corrigendum PPO is generated, 01 is added with the PPO number as suffix. For Example : 236201500203-01 . If second Corrigendum PPO is generated 02 will be added as suffix and so on.....

Action to be taken by Pensioners after getting message from SPARSH :-

(a) Open the SPARSH Website by typing - sparsh.defencepension.gov.in and once the Website is opened, Login to your SPARSH Account by using the valid Username & Password as forwarded to you through email/SMS by SPARSH.

(b) Change the Password & create a Strong Password as per the instructions given therein.

(c) Next important task is PDV (Pensioner Data Verification). Unless & until your PDV is completed, you can't proceed into your SPARSH Account.

(d) After completion of PDV, check your Pending Personal Data like Aadhaar, PAN, Home address etc. If not updated, complete the same.

(e) Once your Aadhaar & PAN is updated in your SPARSH Account, you can submit your DLC (Digital Life Certificate) if due as indicated in SPARSH. Please note that your DLC can only be submitted in SPARSH, if your Aadhaar has already been updated in your SPARSH Account and you have the phone number linked to your Aadhhar Card, otherwise not.

Important: Once transferred to SPARSH - your PPO, corrigendum. Form 16. Life Certificate Pension slip, lodging of grievances - all will be on SPARSH. Hence please save your Login User ID and Password.

To check the status of migration into SPARSH, following steps are requested:-

(a) Go to PCDA (P), Allahabad website through link https://pcdapension.nic.in/pcda/index.php.

(b) You will see a Tab - Migration onto SPARSH which contains

Sub Tab- Check Status.

(d) You can check your SPARSH PPO by feeding any TWO out of

drop down fields:-

(i) Bank Account Number..

(ii) Personal No* .

(iii) Sparsh PPO Number

(IV) e-PPO No

(e) In the second field i.e. Enter Option Value, ie. Your bank account number. enter details of fields selected and after the image verification, click submit.

(f) You will be able to see your PPO details on the screen including the SPARSH PPO No, if migrated.

(g) The SPARSH PPO No. becomes your login id by suffixing 01 i.e. at the end of

your SPARSH PPO number* .

(h) Please login into the SPARSH website

https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in and use forgot password to

generate your password.

VERY IMPORTANT - ACTIVATION OF YOUR SPARSH ACCOUNT EVEN WHEN NO LOG-IN INTIMATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM PCDA(P)

The details of Step by Step procedure to log in and activate your SPARSH Account are separately given in this website under both the eventualities ie having received the Log In ID and Password or when No Information on this has been received by you except that the bank SMS that says that your pension has been credited by SPARSH. Please open the following Web Pge and first read each step and then take action..

The site has teething troubles and we hope that it will soon become user friendly and will provide you all details which can be seen after login including pension slips, pension details, TDS etc etc.

PDV - & Updating/Managing Profile

There are two categories of your profile data medications:-

A. Straight through Fields - The Pensioner is directly authorized to change such fields. A Special Symbol (Arrow) has been assigned to such fields which need to be Clicked to enable the data field. Examples of such fields are Aadhaar Number, PAN Number, Mobile Number, Email ID, Bank Acct no, IFSC Code and Bank Branch Address, District, State etc.

B. Data Correction Requiring Authorization Such data Fields are to be selected by the Pensioner and will get changes only after Approval of the Record Offices Concerned. Such requests for Data Changes when modified on SPARSH, will go to the Respective Record Offices / ORO(MP-5 b) depending upon fields marked/modified. If the pensioner's account is fully activated a Special Symbol Pencil is seen on these fields. Examples of such fields are Personal & Spouse Name, DOB, Gender, Marital Status, Addition of Dependents in case eligible for Family Pension etc.

Note - In case you are not permitted to Correct the Fields in your SPARSH Portal even after Pressing Arrow/ Pencil. PLEASE PRESS RESET FOR ALL OR AT EACH PAGE.

There is an inordinate delay, in most of the cases presently. In spite of Complete Verified Data available in LPC Cum Data Sheet with PCDA Pensions Prayagraj, the Work Load of Records Offices/ ORO have unnecessarily been increased by PCDA Pensions SPARSH, thus causing Delay. With more migrations, the situation is likely to be worse.

ANNUAL LIFE CERTIFICATE

(MULTIPLE OPTIONS ARE GIVEN HERE)

1. SPARSH - LIFE CERTIFICATE BY NRIs OR PENSIONERS LIVING ABROAD -

The NRIs have been facing problems since the SPARSH web site is geo-fenced and cannot be accessed outside India. However by using VPN facility hired from a service provider who has a server in India one can access the site. To proceed further one needs functional India mobile number which can at least receive SMSs in the foreign country, which is the problem in most cases. However if it is available you can do the MLC yourself

However, the simplest procedure is to fill up form-5 and get it NOTARISED from the Notary neaby to your place, Scan and send as att to the email of the PCDA officers as mentioned in the mail IDs given in the images below.

FORM - 5

EMAIL IDs OF THE SPARSH OFFICERS :-

This is the simplest methods for the NRIs no running around here and there.

2. SPARSH - MANUAL LIFE CERTIFICATE - HOW TO PROCEED

If you are not in a position to submit your LIFE certificate on Line either on SPARSH SITE or through Jeevan Pramaan, you can submit the Manual Life Certificate on SPARSH digtally. Its simple details are as under :-

Log into your SPARSH Account. You will reach your Welcome to Sparsh Pension Portal at http://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in.

Here click on Life Certificate / identification.

On the next window which opens click on "Perform Life certificate/identification.

Next window select Manual life certificate (by default) and click on Initiate Request.

Next Window click on Download.
The MLC downloaded will come with a unique document number, your name & Service Number.

Print , get it filled up with details of the verifying officer and then obtain his signatures and official stamp in the spaces provided on MLC, after identifying your self by producing your ID document to the auth.

A Sample MLC downloaded for a pensioner is placed in the image alongside , CLICK on it to enlarge for reading ..

MLC DOWNLOADED

Any of the following authorities can verify your Manual Life Certificate so downloaded as explained above:-

(i) Any person exercising the power of a Magistrate under the Criminal Procedure Code, 1898 (5 of 1898).
(ii) A Registrar or Sub-Registrar under the Registration Act, 1908 (16 of 1908).
(iii) Any pensioned Officer who before retirement exercised the powers of a Magistrate.
(iv) Any Gazetted Officer of Government.
(v) A Munsif.
(vi) A Post Master.
(vii) A Departmental Sub Post Master.
(viii) An Inspector of Post Offices.
(ix) A Class I Officer of the Reserve Bank of India.
(x) An Officer of the State Bank of India.
(xi) An Officer of a subsidiary Bank of the State Bank of India.
(xii) Head of a Village Panchayat, Gram Panchayat or Gaon Panchayat.
(xiii) Head of an Executive Committee of a village.
(xiv) An officer of a bank included in the second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934) in respect of pensioner drawing his/her pension through that Bank.
(xv) A Police Officer not below the rank of Sub-Inspector-in-Charge of a Police Station.
(xvi) A member of Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha/Vidhan Sabha/Vidhan Parishad or a Corporator of Municipal Corporation or a Councilor of a Municipality.
(xvii) In the case of pensioners reemployed a life certificate furnished by the pensioner signed by the Head of the office, where he is re-employed.
(xviii) A District Sainik Welfare officer- (DSWO).

On completion of the verification and stamping, SCAN the MLC.

Now go back to site, log in and come to the last page from where the MLC was generated there you will have option of uploading the scan copy of your MLC.

Upload on your SPARSH account.

After this on page e-verify by using Aadhaar card, you will get OTP enter the OTP and SUBMIT, here download option will come, download as pdf and see your certificate. check all details. note the next date of submission.

No physical copy is to be posted by snail mail to any one.

SBI Acct holders can, however, give their life certificate to their Bank which will upload to SPARSH, they have this facility (API INTEGRATION) in all their branches. No other Bank has this facility. SBI has API Integration only for Life certificate in respect of Pensioners who have their Pension Account in SBI.

3. SPARSH - ALC USING AADHAAR BIO-METRIC AUTHENTICATION

On the SPARSH post-login as your reach the Life Certification/Identification page in addition to Manual Life Certificate option there is Aadhaar option is also available. This option works when a Bio-metric Device is installed on the computer/Android Phone.

When ou proceed it will ask you whether the device is connected or not , if you click on yes it will check the device and shows its presence on the web page for selection. Thereafter on proceeding further it will do the authentication on Bio-metric scanning . If the same is successful it will show you the bank acct number and ask you to submit the life sectificate by clicking on the Submit button.

When done it gives a tracking SR Number and immediately one sees that Life certificate gets updated. This is direct submission of the life certificate right from your SPARSH account.

4. JEEVAN PRAMAAN - DLC

For generating your Digital Life Certificate again there are two methods as under :-

(a) . By using a finger scanning device - For this the scanning device specially specified by the UID is required to be procured either for a computer or for an mobile phone. It costs around rs 2000/- The software can be downloaded from The site and installed to perform the identification. We are not dwelling more on this being an institutional affair of RWAs or Service Clubs or community centers.

On SPARSH account under Life Certificate a provision is seen to generate DLS using Aadhaar which needs the finger scanner device. We have not tried this out as such cannot verify its functionality.

(b) By Face Recognition - using android mobile phone with Jeewan Pramaan App for face RD installed. This is the most popular method as one can submit not onlt one's own life certificate from the comfort of one's home but also do the same for friends and other pensioners. This method requires no additional device or attachment and any android phone can be used having OS 7 and above.

The App is very simple to install and use which contribute to its popularity. The App has since been upgraded for ease and is available on PLAY STORE on your phone. There are two Apps to be installed as explained in the paras below , one of which works in the background.

In our opinion those who can use Whatsapp and Phone Camera are more experienced and skilled than needed for using this App. This is explained in in simple in the lay mans language and in fair amount of details for installation and use in the succeeding para.

Process to Download the Face Recognition App

The pensioners have to download the Jeevan Pramaan face application to submit the life certificate through face recognition. The process to download the face application on mobile phones is as follows:

Go to the Jeevan Pramaan website and click on the ‘Download’ option (https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in/package/download).
Scroll down the page, enter the email ID, captcha code and click on the ‘I agree to download’ button.
The pensioners will receive the OTP on their email ID. Enter the OTP on the Jeevan Pramaan page and click on the ‘Submit’ button.
The pensioners will get three options on the next page – ‘Download for Windows OS’, ‘Mobile App Download’ and ‘Android Mobile Face App Download’.
Click on the ‘Android Mobile Face App Download’ option.
The pensioners will receive the link to download the Jeevan Pramaan face app on their email ID.
Click on the ‘Jeevan Pramaan Installer’ link sent in the email, and the face recognition software will download on the mobile phone.

Process to Use the Face Recognition App

The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare provided the process of submitting the life certificate (Jeevan Pramaan) through the face recognition app. The process is as follows:

Download the Jeevan Pramaan face application on the mobile phone (as provided above).
Download the AadhaarFaceRD app from the Google Play Store.
The pensioners have to install the Jeevan Pramaan face application from the file downloads on their mobile.
Open the Jeevan Pramaan face application and give the necessary permissions.
Do the operator authentication and scan the face of the operator to open the application. The operator authentication is a one-time process, and the pensioners themselves can be the operators.
Fill in the pensioner details and scan the face of the pensioner. (The pensioners must scan their face in a frontal pose with neutral expression under proper lighting).
Click on the ‘Submit’ button. The pensioners will receive a message on the mobile number with a link for downloading the DLC (Jeevan Pramaan).

Requirements for Downloading the Face Recognition App

The pensioners must ensure that they have the following requirements to download and use the Jeevan Pramaan face application:

Android smartphone version 7.0 and above.
Internet connection.
Aadhaar number registered with pension disbursing authority.
A camera resolution of 5 mp and above.

However, the Jeevan Pramaan face application is available only in India for Android devices. A bio-metric device is not necessary to use this app. Through the Jeevan Pramaan face recognition app, the pensioners can determine their identity using face recognition technology and submit their life certificates utilising this technology. They need not visit the bank or worry about finger bio-metrics not being captured problems for submitting the life certificate.

घर बैठे Mobile से 5 मिनट में Life Certificate जमा करें, कैसे?

Digital Life Certificate/Jeevan Pramaan

Note - The link has been tested several times incl on mobile phones and is virus free. In case you are unable to open it on your device please try on a different device or Laptop with Windows 10 or 11 and latest Chrome browser.

IMPORTANT

Digital Life Certificate on Jeewan Pramaan Patra Website can be generated by selecting the Bank as Pension Disbursing Authority if not yet migrated to SPARSH,

However, for those pensioners already migrated to SPARSH the correct selections from the related fields and drop downs, while using the app to generate DLC are as under :-

* Type of Pension - SERVICE

* Pension Sanction Authority - Defence PCDA(P) Allahabad, - Jt CDA(AF) Subrato Park OR PCDA(NAVY) Mumbai

* Disbursing Agency: SPARSH:PCDA(P) Allahabad

* The SPARSH PPO number, sent by PCDA(P) via SMS as Pension ID* (12 Figure Number) had to be filled and not the old PPO number.

* Bank Account number where the pension is being credited.

NOTE -- All pensioners are required to submit their Life Certificate (Digital or Manual) before the last date as given in the Pension Slips, so that their pension is continued for the next year as well from SPARSH.

NOTE ENSURE THIS WHILE FACE SCANNING - As you fill up above details and cl;ick Submit the App will take you to SCAN FACE, You may use your front camera for scanning your own face or back camera when scanning another Pensioner's Face. One should look straight into the Phone Camera for one's frontal image (Portrate).

The server would have already begun to capture your live image, be straight and still, wait for 5 seconds and then BLINK both your eyes twice. The server will detect the eye movement and complete the verification that you are alive. The DLC will then get generated and an intimation will be received on your mobile as well as your email. You can download the certificate.

It completes the process as the DLC is automatically delivered by UID to SPARSH.

5. THIRD METHOD - POST OFFICES

LIFE CERTIFICATE can also be submitted to PCDA through the POST OFFICES the format is available under services on the SPARSH web site mentioned above (https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in) after log in. You may use their Services of India Post, one of their representatives, most likely the post man of your area will visit your Residence & Complete your Life Certificate through Jeevan Pramaan App.

The cost of submitting MLC through Post Office is Rs 70 to be paid to the post man in Cash.

THOSE INTERESTED CAN GO THROUGH THE DETAILED PROCEDURE BY CLICKING ON THE FOLLOWING LINK

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AND READ THE DOCUMENT ON LIFE CERTIFICATE SUBMISSION THROUGH THE POST OFFICES

The above links are free from any virus and have been tested extensively.

youtube links

WATCH SPARSH Videos for Pensioners.