SPARSH login and defence pension guide

1. Open sparsh.defencepension.gov.in and click Login. Type the address yourself rather than following a link in a message.
2. Enter the username and password that SPARSH sent to your registered mobile number, then type the code shown on screen.
3. Once inside, set a password of your own from My Profile > Change Password.
4. Retiring personnel get a Pensioner ID before sanction and are asked to complete Pensioner Data Verification (check the data sent by the Record Office and Pay Accounts Office) within 15 days of the SMS or email. If it is not done, the system treats the data as verified.

Keep your registered mobile number active. SPARSH sends every OTP and password to it. [1], [2]

Annual identification is how you confirm each year that your pension should continue. On SPARSH it works on your own 12-month cycle, not a fixed month for everyone.

• When it is due. A life certificate stays valid for 12 months from the identification date recorded in SPARSH, and SPARSH accepts it at any time of the year. Your next due date is under Services > Identification and in the monthly pension details emailed to you. [5], [2]
• Check without signing in. Use "Know Your SPARSH PPO and Identification Status" on the home page with your SPARSH PPO number, personal number or bank account number. Allow 48 hours after you submit. [1]
• November. Many Central Government pensioners submit in November, and the Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare runs a nationwide Digital Life Certificate campaign that month (1 to 30 November in 2025), with CGDA camps among them. On SPARSH, go by the due date in your own account. [8], [5]

Ways to complete it

Who can sign a Manual Life Certificate. The SPARSH FAQ lists, among others: a Gazetted Officer of Government, a Magistrate, a Registrar or Sub-Registrar, a Post Master or Sub Post Master, an officer of the bank through which you draw pension, the head of a Gram Panchayat, a Police Officer not below Sub-Inspector in charge of a police station, an MP, MLA or municipal councillor, the District Sainik Welfare Officer, and, if you are re-employed, the head of your office. [2]

If you are late. Pension can be held until identification is completed, so do it as soon as it falls due. Once a delayed identification is completed, all applicable pension arrears are paid. [2], [7]

• My Documents > Pension Slip: each month's payments and deductions, including commutation deductions.
• My Documents > Entitlements: basic pension, disability element, gratuity and other elements, the date commutation is restored, and whether broadbanding has been applied.
• My Documents > PPO: your Pension Payment Order and any corrigendum PPOs. Form 16 is in My Documents too.
• Services > Projected Tax Summary: your projected tax for the financial year.
• Current and past Dearness Relief rates are on the portal under Pension Orders & Information. For the Dearness Allowance orders behind them, see the Handbook's Dearness Allowance guide.

If something does not match. Raise a payment-related grievance under Grievances > Payment Related:

• Elements of Pension: you are paid less than your PPO, Dearness Relief is missing, the disability element rate is wrong, or you need to report an overpayment.
• Elements Not Sanctioned in Pension: an entitlement such as Constant Attendance Allowance is missing from your PPO.
• Deduction: wrong tax deduction or recovery.

For a correction in the PPO itself, raise an update request in SPARSH or contact your Record Office, Head of Office or Service Headquarters. [2], [1]

Once your identification is complete and approved, sign in and go to My Profile > Manage Profile.

• Mobile, email and address are "straight through" changes: they update instantly, without approval.
• Bank account, PAN and family details (adding or removing a spouse or dependant) are also changed in Manage Profile. Changes that need approval are marked with a legend on the profile page.
• Mobile number not registered? Use "To Update Mobile No." on the home page (PPO number plus Aadhaar OTP or security details). Aadhaar and PAN have similar update links on the home page.
• Re-employment, marriage or re-marriage are reported under My Profile. Fixed Medical Allowance is switched on or off under My Profile > Manage Profile > Personal Details (for example, when you start using ECHS).
• For families: report a pensioner's death and start family pension under Services > Report Event, with a copy of the death certificate.

1. Raise it in SPARSH. Sign in and choose the matching category under Grievances. If you cannot sign in, use Register Grievance on the home page. Track progress under Track > Track Grievance. You can also raise a grievance through the helpline or a Service Centre. [1], [2]
2. Escalate it in SPARSH. The Grievance menu has an Escalate Grievance option for a grievance that needs more attention. You can also raise a grievance against a completed service request by quoting its Request ID. [1], [2]
3. Take it to the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare. The Raksha Pension Shikayat Nivaran Portal takes pension and family pension grievances of ex-servicemen and their dependants directly to DESW, with SMS and email updates. DESW also takes grievances through the government's CPGRAMS portal, pgportal.gov.in. [11], [12], [6]
4. Meet the department in person. The Defence Accounts Department holds Raksha Pension Samadhan Aayojan and SPARSH outreach camps across the country. Upcoming camps are announced on the SPARSH home page and CGDA's Pensioner's Portal. [1], [6]

When you write in, give your SPARSH PPO number and the full details of the problem, so it can be dealt with in one go.

SPARSH Service Centres. Every SPARSH service is also available at Service Centres, free of charge, 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday. They include Common Service Centres, bank branches onboarded as SPARSH Service Centres, India Post Payments Bank, Defence Accounts Department centres and 36 centres under the Directorate of Indian Army Veterans. Find one with the Service Center Locator under Contact & Support on the SPARSH portal, or the CSC locator. Carry your registered mobile: the centre verifies you by OTP or security questions. [1], [2]