Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today formally launched the Nationwide Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Campaign 4.0, marking a significant step in the government’s ongoing drive to simplify life certification for pensioners.

The month-long DLC campaign 4.0, which began on November 1 and will continue till November 30, has already seen over 22 lakh Digital Life Certificates generated within the first four days, against the month-long target of two crore.

Referring to the achievements of the previous DLC Campaign 3.0 last year, Dr. Jitendra Singh informed that notably, 52.73 lakh DLCs were submitted using face authentication, while 72.64 lakh were from EPFO pensioners.

The Minister further informed that Campaign 3.0 of last year was conducted in 1,984 locations across 845 districts and cities in November 2024, during which 1.62 crore DLCs were generated, including 49.78 lakh from Central Government pensioners. Of these, over 85,200 were from pensioners above 90 years, and more than 2,200 were from pensioners aged above 100 years.

The present Campaign 4.0, covering nearly 2,000 districts, cities and towns across the country through 2,500 camps and coordinated by 1,250 nodal officers, is being implemented with the participation of major banks, India Post Payments Bank, and Pensioners’ Welfare Associations. The initiative adopts a saturation approach to ensure that every pensioner—irrespective of location or mobility constraints—can submit their life certificate seamlessly.

The DLC Campaign 4.0 is being conducted in collaboration with 19 Pension Disbursing Banks, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), Pensioners’ Welfare Associations, UIDAI, MeitY, EPFO, Railways, CGDA, and the Department of Telecommunications, with the aim of reaching every pensioner across the country, including those in remote and rural areas. IPPB alone is organizing camps in over 1,600 districts and sub-divisions through its network of 1.8 lakh postmen and Gramin Dak Sewaks, offering doorstep DLC services to pensioners, irrespective of their pension-disbursing bank.

The Department has also created a dedicated DLC portal, mapped across 1,850 cities and towns with more than 2,500 camp locations and over 1,200 nodal officers. Trainings have been scheduled in a phased manner to ensure smooth operations throughout the month-long campaign.

The campaign also draws significant support from 57 Pensioners’ Welfare Associations registered with DoPPW, which are playing a pivotal role in organizing camps and mobilizing pensioners. This year, special emphasis is being laid on promoting Face Authentication Technology, developed with full technical support from MeitY and UIDAI, to make the process more seamless and convenient for the elderly.

The outreach is being amplified through coordinated publicity by PIB, DD News, and All India Radio, alongside social media, SMS campaigns, and short films under the hashtag #DLCCampaign4, making this the largest digital empowerment campaign ever undertaken for pensioners in India.

Recalling the journey of this reform, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the idea behind introducing a Digital Life Certificate was born out of empathy for the elderly. “It appeared inhuman to ask senior citizens to physically prove that they are alive to receive their pension,” he said, adding that the government turned this challenge into an opportunity to introduce biometric and face authentication technologies for a noble cause.

Underlining the technological transformation in pension delivery, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, “This not only brings ease of living for pensioners but also changes our social and economic behaviour, making society more technology-friendly”.

Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted that the initiative has evolved into a global success story. “This unique experiment in governance is now being studied internationally, with delegations expressing interest in learning from India’s model,” he said.

The Minister credited the Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi’s vision of citizen-centric governance for transforming the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare into one of the most visible and people-oriented arms of the government.

The Minister noted that the campaign’s success is a result of the collective effort of various departments, banks, and Pensioners’ Welfare Associations, which have emerged as crucial partners in reaching senior citizens across the country. “By leveraging technology and institutional collaboration, the government is ensuring that senior citizens experience dignity, convenience, and inclusion in their post-retirement life,” he said.

Also present on the occasion were Sh. V. Srinivas, Secretary (Pension), Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW); Ms. Vandana Gupta, Controller General of Communication Accounts (CGCA); Sh. Vishvajit Sahay, Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA); Sh. Bhuvnesh Kumar, CEO, UIDAI; and Sh. Dhrubajyoti Sengupta, Joint Secretary, DoPPW. Dr. Jitendra Singh commended Sh. V. Srinivas and his team for their outstanding efforts in driving the nationwide campaign, noting that their dedication has transformed the Department into a model of efficiency and citizen-centric service delivery. The Minister appreciated the coordinated approach adopted by the department and its partners, which, he said, has made the pension disbursement process more transparent, accessible, and humane for millions of senior citizens across the country.

Concluding his remarks, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the Digital Life Certificate initiative exemplifies Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on ease of living and citizen-centric governance. The initiative not only ensures uninterrupted pension delivery but also strengthens India’s transition toward a transparent, efficient, and digitally empowered administrative framework.

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NKR/AK