It is vital for defence pensioners to submit their Digital Life Certificate (DLC) every year so as to ensure uninterrupted pension payments. The SPARSH portal has simplified the entire process of digital life certificate submission, allowing pensioners to complete it from the comfort of their homes.
It is also important to note that failing to comply with the timelines can result in the discontinuation of pension payments until the updated life certificate is submitted.
Keeping this in mind, here are six simple steps that all pensioners can take to successfully submit their life certificates.
6-step Digital Life Certificate submission guide on SPARSH portal
Step 1: Log in to the SPARSH portal
Visit the official website of SPARSH and log in by using your username, password and other basic credentials. Once you submit basic details, you will receive an OTP on your registered mobile number.
Submit this number in the prompt and log in. All new users must first register using their original PPO number, PAN card data, and registered mobile number to use the service.
Step 2: Access the Life Certificate Section
Once you have logged in, navigate to the ‘Digital Life Certificate’ section. This section on the dashboardcan help initiate the certificate submission process.
Step 3: Select authentication method
To authenticate yourself, you can opt for Aadhaar-based authentication. Pensioners can also avail of a face authentication service on their mobile or biometric verification using fingerprints or iris scans at authorised centres. This way, the life certificate can be submitted in several ways.
Step 4: Use the Jeevan Pramaan App
To make the process entirely digital with no human intervention, download the Jeevan Pramaan application on your smartphone. Once downloaded, enter your Aadhaar and pension details, then complete authentication using OTP or biometrics.
Step 5: Generate and Submit DLC
Once verification is complete, your new Digital Life Certificate (DLC) will be generated on the Jeevan Pramaan website. Go through the certificate carefully and check all details such as your name spelling, date of birth, etc. This certificate will help you draw your pension for the next year, till the next cycle of life certificate submission arises.
Step 6: Acknowledgement and tracking
Upon final submission of the data, i.e., your biometric or facial image and the generation of a fresh life certificate, an acknowledgement receipt will be generated. You can track the status of your DLC directly on the portal post the same.
In a few days, the updated status of life certificate submission will be displayed on the SPARSH portal, with the next due date reflecting about a year later from the date you submitted your life certificate last.
In conclusion, you can also submit this certificate manually. This kind of submission is known as the Manual Life Certificate (MLC). For this, a form must be downloaded from the SPARSH portal, signed by the pensioner and a gazetted officer and submitted to the concerned department along with other basic details.
That is why pensioners generally prefer the digital route. This process eliminates the need for physical visits, checks, and bank verifications. Defence pensioners and former officials should therefore complete DLC submission on an annual basis, usually at the start of the financial year or in November to avoid payment delays or disruptions.
To ensure the process continues seamlessly, all pensioners should regularly log in to their SPARSH pension portal and continue to check and update their mobile numbers, email addresses and other essential communication details.
How to resolve any doubts?
For any other doubts, queries or clarification, you can directly reach out to the SPARSH portal at: https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in/ or the Helpline number at 18001805325. If you want to write your queries you can send them to the email: pcdapprayagraj.dad@gov.in, any issue will be amicably resolved and a clear solution will be provided in a timely manner.
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