Jeevan Pramaan: annual life certificate for defence pensioners

Every defence pensioner and family pensioner submits an annual life certificate. Where it goes depends on how your pension is paid:

• Pension on SPARSH. PCDA (Pensions), Prayagraj pays you directly through SPARSH, and your life certificate is your SPARSH "annual identification". Completing it is a statutory requirement for continued, timely credit of pension. [8], [9]
• Legacy pension through a bank or DPDO. If you retired before 2016 and have not yet been migrated to SPARSH, carry on giving your life certificate the way you did in earlier years, to your bank or DPDO. [8]
• Family pensioners submit too, and can use Jeevan Pramaan and the face app. If you have remarried or are re-employed, give your certificate the conventional way instead. [3], [12]

Not sure which applies to you? Search for your PPO on "Know Your SPARSH PPO and Identification Status" on the SPARSH portal. Our SPARSH login guide explains signing in and fixing login problems. [9]

• On SPARSH: your own 12-month date. SPARSH accepts a life certificate at any time of the year, and it stays valid for 12 months from the identification date recorded in SPARSH. You do not have to wait for November, and submitting before your due date avoids the November rush. [12]
• Through a bank: November. Central Government pensioners paid through banks submit in November. The certificate is valid until 30 November of the next year. [3]
• Aged 80 or above: from 1 October. Pensioners aged 80 and above can submit from 1 October, a month before everyone else. [3], [4]
• November camps. The Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare has run a nationwide Digital Life Certificate campaign from 1 to 30 November every year since 2022, with camps by banks, India Post Payments Bank and CGDA. This year's camp list is announced by the department; check with your bank or the SPARSH home page. [4], [6]

1. Signed in: go to Services > Identification. It shows your last identification date and your next due date. [10]
2. Without signing in: use Know Your SPARSH PPO and Identification Status on the SPARSH home page. [9], [11]
3. From your email or pension slip: the next due date is in the monthly pension details SPARSH emails you, and on your pension slip. If you do not get these emails, register your email in SPARSH. [12], [11]

After you submit, allow 48 hours before checking the status again. [9]

Before you start. Keep your Aadhaar number, mobile number, PPO number and pension bank account number handy. Your Aadhaar must be linked to the bank account your pension is paid into. [3], [7]

If you are unwell or bed-ridden. The face app or a doorstep service is the easiest route. Your bank can also send an officer to your home or hospital if you send the branch a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner. [3]

1. Check your phone. You need an Android phone, an internet connection and at least 500 MB of free space. The Jeevan Pramaan site currently lists Android 10 or above for the mobile app. Your Aadhaar must be linked to the bank account your pension is paid into.
2. Install AadhaarFaceRD. Search the Google Play Store for UIDAI's AadhaarFaceRD app and install it. It has no icon and runs in the background; you can see it under Settings > App info.
3. Install Jeevan Pramaan. Install the Jeevan Pramaan app from the Google Play Store, open it and allow the permissions it asks for. The app can be switched to Hindi and other languages.
4. Register the operator (one time). Enter the operator's Aadhaar number, a mobile number and email, then the OTP. The pensioner can be the operator, or a family member can be. The mobile number need not be linked to Aadhaar. One operator can generate certificates for many pensioners.
5. Fill in the pensioner's details. Name as in Aadhaar, type of pension, Sanctioning Authority, Disbursing Agency, PPO number and pension account number. If you generated a certificate last year, these may already be filled in.
6. Scan the pensioner's face. Read the on-screen instructions, keep the face inside the circle and blink when asked. Front or rear camera both work.
7. Note your Pramaan ID. On success, the screen shows your Pramaan ID and an SMS confirms it. Keep it to download the certificate later.

[2], [3], [1]

What to select as a defence pensioner

Older lists show Allahabad instead of Prayagraj; it is the same PCDA (Pensions) office. Pick the entry that matches your PPO.

A missed life certificate pauses your pension; it does not end it. Submit as soon as you can, by any of the ways above.

• On SPARSH. Pension may be stopped until identification is done. Once a delayed identification is completed, all applicable pension arrears are paid. [11], [10]
• Through a bank. For Central Government pensions paid through banks, if no certificate is in by the end of November, pension from December is not paid. Once the certificate is updated, pension resumes with arrears from the next payment. After three years or more without a certificate, pension restarts only after sanction by the competent authority, so do not let it run that long. [3]