EPFO Implements Facial Authentication Technology for Pensioners’ Digital Life Certificate Submission

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 8th June. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced Facial Authentication Technology (FAT) for pensioners to submit their Digital Life Certificates (DLCs) conveniently from their homes. This initiative aims to enhance the ease of living for pensioners by eliminating the need for physical visits to banks or post offices.

With more than 78 lakh pensioners under its purview, EPFO has been striving to streamline the DLC submission process. Initially, pensioners had to visit banks or post offices to submit physical life certificates, which posed challenges and led to grievances. In 2015, EPFO introduced DLCs for pensioners, accepting biometric-based DLCs for authentication.

To address the difficulties faced by elderly pensioners, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and UIDAI developed the Face Authentication Technology (FAT) in July 2022. This technology allows pensioners to submit their DLCs using facial recognition from their Android-based smartphones, eliminating the need for physical visits.

The FAT-based DLC submission process requires pensioners to install two applications, namely “Aadhaar Face RD” and “Jeevan Pramaan,” on their smartphones. Operator authentication is carried out through Aadhaar-linked mobile numbers. Once the pensioner completes the facial scan using the smartphone camera, the DLC submission is confirmed on the mobile screen, providing convenience and ease of use.

Since its implementation, the use of FAT-based DLCs has seen significant growth, with 6.6 lakh submissions recorded in the fiscal year 2023-24, reflecting a 200% year-on-year increase. Notably, FAT-based DLCs constituted nearly 10% of the total DLCs received during the year.

EPFO has been actively promoting this innovative technology among pensioners through detailed guidelines, field office instructions, and awareness programs like Nidhi Apke Nikat held across India. Detailed instructional videos are also available on EPFO’s official YouTube channel to assist pensioners in using this technology effectively.