Government targets 2.3 crore Digital Life Certificates for pensioners this month
The fifth nationwide Digital Life Certificate campaign will run from November 1 to 30 across 2,000 cities and districts, targeting 2.30 crore certificates, including 1.50 crore through smartphone-based face authentication.
Face authentication technology, supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), will be a major focus.
NEW DELHI: The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) has launched its fifth nationwide Digital Life Certificate (DLC) campaign, scheduled from November 1 to 30, 2026, with activities planned across 2,000 cities and districts. The month-long initiative aims to generate 2.30 crore digital life certificates, including 1.50 crore through face authentication technology, in what the department describes as its largest-ever campaign of this kind.
The campaign seeks to expand the use of digital services among pensioners, particularly elderly beneficiaries who traditionally have to visit banks or other authorised centres to submit their annual life certificates.
Face authentication technology, supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), will be a major focus. The facility enables pensioners to generate Digital Life Certificates through smartphones running Android or iOS, offering an alternative to physical visits for completing the annual verification process.
The campaign will follow a whole-of-government approach, bringing together 19 banks, India Post Payments Bank, 785 district post offices, 56 pensioners’ welfare associations, and representatives from the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Railways, Department of Telecommunications, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, state governments, UIDAI and MeitY.
Beyond certificate generation, the initiative will offer a range of support services, including health check-ups and Aadhaar updation. Doorstep services will be arranged for pensioners who are unable to visit campaign centres. Dedicated grievance officers will also address issues relating to Digital Life Certificates, with an emphasis on immediate resolution.
The department will organise large-scale camps in areas with high concentrations of pensioners, while senior DoPPW officials will undertake field visits and monitor implementation in selected states.
Public awareness activities will include campaigns through Doordarshan, All India Radio and the Press Information Bureau, supplemented by SMS messages, social media outreach, jingles and short films.
The campaign builds on the government’s efforts to use Aadhaar-enabled digital infrastructure and smartphone-based authentication to make pension-related services more accessible and convenient for beneficiaries.
