Gone are the days when pensioners had to physically appear before the disbursing agency or certification authority each year to prove they were alive and continue receiving their pensions. This often meant long trips, standing in queues, and dealing with bureaucratic procedures—especially burdensome for the elderly and those with health or mobility issues.
The Government of India’s Jeevan Pramaan initiative, also known as the Digital Life Certificate for Pensioners Scheme, was designed to simplify and modernize the life certificate process for millions of pensioners across the country. With this digital life certificate system, pensioners can now generate their life certificates online from the comfort of their homes or nearby authorized centres.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the ins and outs of the Jeevan Pramaan /Digital Life Certificate.
What is Jeevan Pramaan?
Jeevan Pramaan, also known as the Digital Life Certificate for Pensioners, is a scheme launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on November 10, 2014. The goal of this initiative is to simplify the process of obtaining a life certificate for pensioners by digitizing it.
The Government clearly understands how challenging the traditional method is. Jeevan Pramaan addresses this issue by allowing pensioners to generate their Digital Life Certificate (DLC) using a software application that relies on Aadhaar-based biometric authentication—using fingerprints or iris scans.
Once the Digital Life Certificate is created, it is stored securely online. Both the pensioner and the pension disbursing agency can access it whenever needed, which ultimately eliminates the need for physical visits and makes the process faster and more convenient for everyone involved.
Components of the Jeevan Pramaan /Digital Life Certificate
Let’s break down the components of the Digital life certificate in detail.
The Pension Sanctioning Authority (PSA):
The Pension Sanctioning Authority (PSA) is the body responsible for approving and sanctioning a person’s pension. This authority verifies the pensioner’s eligibility and issues the Pension Payment Order (PPO), which includes details like the pensioner’s bank account where the pension will be deposited. Without the PSA’s approval, the pension process cannot move forward.
The Pension Disbursing Agency (PDA):
Once the pension is sanctioned, the Pension Disbursing Agencies (PDA) come into play. These agencies, which can be banks, post offices, or other authorized institutions, are responsible for processing the Digital Life Certificates (DLC) of pensioners.
To access these certificates, PDAs need to register on the Jeevan Pramaan Portal. After signing up, they can securely log in to the portal and download the DLC in PDF format for processing. This digital access allows the PDAs to quickly verify the pensioner’s status and ensure smooth disbursement of the pension without requiring the pensioner to physically appear.
The Pensioners:
The third and most important part of this system is the pensioners themselves. To generate a Digital Life Certificate, pensioners need to use the Aadhaar-based biometric authentication system. This involves scanning their fingerprint or iris to confirm their identity.
What are the Eligibility Conditions for a Digital Life Certificate?
Here are the eligibility criteria for a Digital Life Certificate.
Aadhaar Number:
The pensioner must have a valid Aadhaar number, as the authentication process relies on Aadhaar-based biometric verification.
Mobile Number:
The pensioner must have an active mobile number that can be used for verification and notifications.
Aadhaar Registration with Pension Disbursing Agency (PDA):
The pensioner’s Aadhaar number must already be registered with the Pension Disbursing Agency (PDA), such as their bank, post office, or other relevant institutions.
Biometric Device:
The pensioner must have access to a biometric device (such as a fingerprint scanner or iris scanner) that is supported by the Jeevan Pramaan system.
Device Requirements:
For a PC, the system must have Windows 7.0 or above installed.
For mobile or tablet users, the device must run on Android version 4.0 or above.
Internet Connectivity:
The pensioner must have access to a stable internet connection to complete the online process.
How to Generate a Digital Life Certificate?
Since there are two ways to generate a digital life certificate, let’s first discuss the online method. If you are a first-time user, you will need to perform the following steps:
- In the first step, you will need to visit the official website of Jeevan Pramaan (Digital Life Certificate for Pensioners).
- After that, scroll down a bit, and then click on “PC” under “Get a Certificate.”
- Then, a page will appear where you need to enter your email ID and captcha code. After doing that, simply click on “I Agree to Download.”
- Then, you will receive an OTP on your email ID. Simply enter it and then on entering the correct OTP, you will see a screen wherein you will need to enter your “Mobile” and “Aadhar”
- In the next step, you will need to provide your Name and email ID and click ‘Scan Finger’. You can scan your fingerprint on a fingerprint scanner or scan your Iris (Eye) on an Iris Scanner connected to your PC/mobile/tab.
- After the fingerprint or iris scan is authenticated, a message saying ‘Device Registration Successful’ will appear on the screen. Simply click OK to proceed.
- Next, you’ll see the Pensioner Authentication Screen. This takes you to Step 2, where you need to authenticate and generate the Digital Life Certificate (DLC).
- In this step, enter your Aadhaar number and mobile number. You will receive a One-Time Password (OTP) on your smartphone. Once you enter the correct OTP, the system will move to the next screen.
- On this screen, you’ll need to fill in some important details, such as the Pensioner’s Name, PPO Number, Type of pension, Disbursing Agency, name of Sanctioning Authority, email, and Bank Account number. Also, you should select the Remarried and Re-Employed Options.
- After completing the information, check the required box and click on the ‘Scan Finger’ button. This will start the fingerprint or iris scanning process again.
- Once the fingerprint or iris authentication is successful, the pensioner’s Digital Life Certificate will be displayed on the screen. You will also receive an SMS confirmation on your mobile with the Jeevan Pramaan Certificate ID for future reference.
- Congratulations- You can now download the Digital Life Certificate.
Offline Method:
If you’re not comfortable using the online method, you can easily follow the offline process to generate a Digital Life Certificate. Simply visit the nearest post office and ask a customer representative about the Digital Life Certificate service. They will provide you with a form to fill out, where you’ll need to provide basic details like your Pension Disbursing Department, Pension Payment Order (PPO), bank account details, mobile number, and Aadhaar number.
Once you’ve filled in the form, you’ll need to complete the process by authorizing your request with a biometric fingerprint scan. After the biometric verification, your Digital Life Certificate will be generated instantly, and you’ll receive a Pramaan ID on your mobile phone, confirming the successful completion of the process.
Conclusion
So, that’s a wrap to the Jeevan Pramaan /Digital Life Certificate generation! It is no secret that the Jeevan Pramaan application is simple and easy to implement with these steps. Not only does it spare pensioners the inconvenience and challenges of long queues and physical verification, but it also greatly reduces the risk of incorrect or fraudulent pension payments. As a result, the Digital Life Certificate system provides a secure, user-friendly, and reliable method for pensioners to continue receiving their pensions without unnecessary hurdles.
