NEW DELHI, November 5, 2025 — Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, today formally launched the Nationwide Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Campaign 4.0, hailing the initiative as a major stride in the government’s commitment to citizen-centric reforms and digital empowerment for pensioners.
The Minister highlighted that the introduction of Face Authentication technology has brought “ease and dignity” to the elderly, transforming the process of life certification.
🚀 Campaign 4.0 Off to a Flying Start
The month-long campaign, which runs from November 1 to November 30, has already witnessed remarkable success in its first four days, with over 55 lakh Digital Life Certificates (DLC) generated against a monthly target of two crore.
Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that this massive digital outreach is India’s largest digital empowerment effort for pensioners, underscoring the government’s focus on seamless and technology-driven service delivery.
💡 The Triumph of Technology and Empathy
Recalling the genesis of the reform, the Minister stated that the idea was born out of empathy, finding it “inhuman to ask senior citizens to physically prove that they are alive to receive their pension.” This challenge was transformed into an opportunity to leverage biometric and face authentication technologies for a noble cause.
“This not only brings ease of living for pensioners but also changes our social and economic behaviour, making society more technology-friendly,” said Dr. Jitendra Singh.
The initiative has now evolved into a “global success story,” with international delegations expressing interest in adopting India’s model.
📊 Previous Campaign Success: A Look Back
Referring to the achievements of the previous DLC Campaign 3.0, the Minister informed that:
- A notable 52.73 lakh DLCs were submitted using face authentication.
- A total of 1.62 crore DLCs were generated in November 2024.
- The campaign successfully reached over 85,200 pensioners above 90 years of age and more than 2,200 above 100 years.
🤝 Saturation Approach and Institutional Collaboration
Campaign 4.0 is adopting a saturation approach to reach every pensioner, including those in remote and rural areas. Key highlights of the collaborative effort include:
- Geographical Reach: Covering nearly 2,000 districts, cities, and towns through 2,500 camps, coordinated by 1,250 nodal officers.
- Key Partners: The drive is being implemented with the participation of 19 Pension Disbursing Banks, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), Pensioners’ Welfare Associations, UIDAI, MeitY, EPFO, Railways, and other departments.
- Doorstep Service: IPPB alone is organizing camps in over 1,600 districts, leveraging its network of 1.8 lakh postmen and Gramin Dak Sewaks to offer doorstep DLC services to pensioners irrespective of their bank.
Special emphasis is being laid on promoting Face Authentication Technology, developed with technical support from MeitY and UIDAI, to ensure maximum convenience.
🌐 Digital Outreach and Future Vision
The outreach is being amplified through coordinated publicity by PIB, DD News, All India Radio, social media, and SMS campaigns under the hashtag #DLCCampaign4.
The Minister credited Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of citizen-centric governance for transforming the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare into a visible, people-oriented government arm. The DLC initiative, he concluded, not only ensures uninterrupted pension delivery but also strengthens India’s transition toward a transparent, efficient, and digitally empowered administrative framework.
