Jeevan Pramaan (Digital Life Certificate)

Digital ID is used for biometric authentication to generate digital life certificates for pensioners, which eliminates the need for physical verification. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, in collaboration with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and banks, launched Jeevan Pramaan in November 2014.

Pensioners submit a life certificate annually, typically in November, to confirm they are alive and eligible to continue receiving pension payments. The Jeevan Pramaan system enables pensioners to submit their annual life certificate digitally through Aadhaar-based biometric authentication, which removes the need to appear physically before pension disbursing authorities.

Jeevan Pramaan allows pensioners to authenticate their identity through fingerprint or iris scan at designated service centers, Common Service Centers (CSCs), or through the Jeevan Pramaan mobile app. This app requires phone-based camera to complete Aadhaar-based face authentication. The system instantly generates a Digital Life Certificate (DLC), which is directly transmitted to the Pension Disbursing Agency, such as a bank or government department. This eliminates paperwork and manual submission.

During 1st–11th November 2024, 4.81 million DLC were generated, which demonstrates widespread adoption of this digital service among India’s elderly population. The Jeevan Pramaan system has transformed pension administration by providing convenience to senior citizens who previously had to travel to pension offices. It reduces administrative burden on pension disbursing agencies, prevents delays in pension payments due to late certificate submission, and enables pensioners living abroad to submit certificates through designated centers. The system verifies certificates in real-time and reduces processing time from weeks to minutes. It also supports dignified aging by reducing bureaucratic hassles for elderly citizens.