Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh on Monday launched a "unique" face recognition technology that would act as a proof of life certificate' for pensioners and ensure ease of living for the retired and elderly citizens.
All pensioners are mandated to submit their life certificate annually to continue receiving pension. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has already implemented a facility of giving the certificate digitally.
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The central government has been sensitive to the needs of pensioners and to ensure ease of living for them. Soon after coming to power in 2014, the government decided to introduce and implement digital life certificate for the pensioners. This unique face recognition technology will further help pensioners, Singh said.
He said this face recognition technique of giving life certificate is a historic and far reaching reform since it will touch the lives of not only 68 lakh central government pensioners but also those under the EPFO and state governments, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
Singh thanked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology as well as UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) for devising this technology and making such an initiative of the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) possible.
The minister said the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always sought "ease of living" for all sections of society, including the retirees and pensioners who are the nation's assets with all their experience and long years of service rendered by them.
He also reiterated that during the coronavirus pandemic too, the Department of Pension brought about several reforms for release of provisional pension/family pension.
The minister said the Department of Pension has been extensively using technology to achieve this end, be it introduction of digital life certificate, introduction of an intelligent common software Bhavishya for all government of India ministries for processing pension cases.
Singh said, the effort in issuing electronic PPOs and pushing the same in Digi locker is a huge step towards ease of living and transparency.
He said the department has also been bringing out e-booklets for pensioner awareness and carrying out an awareness campaign on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and other social media platforms.
