New Delhi Bureau
Summary: Pensioners across the country have received major relief. They no longer need to visit banks or treasuries to submit their life certificate. The central government’s Digital Life Certificate Campaign 5.0 is running across the country from 1 November to 30 November 2026, and pensioners can generate their certificate from home by simply showing their face to a smartphone camera. The campaign aims to prepare 2.30 crore certificates this month, of which 1.50 crore will be made through face authentication technology.
What is Digital Life Certificate Campaign 5.0
This is the fifth nationwide Digital Life Certificate campaign run by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare. It is being conducted across the country from 1 November to 30 November 2026. Special camps and arrangements are being made in around 2,000 cities and districts so that the digital facility reaches pensioners in every corner of the country.
The government has set a target of preparing 2.30 crore digital life certificates during this month. Of these, 1.50 crore certificates are planned to be made through face authentication alone. This shows that the entire focus of this year’s campaign is on a technology that is easiest for elderly people and needs no machine and no visit to any office.
A digital life certificate, also known as Jeevan Pramaan, is an important part of the pension system. Through it, a pensioner certifies that he or she is alive so that the pension continues. Earlier this work was done on paper, then came the digital medium, and now with face recognition it can be done from home. Campaign 5.0 is being run to take this facility to every corner of the country.
Why a life certificate is needed every year
A life certificate must be submitted every year to keep the pension going. Pensioners who do not submit their certificate on time can face interruption in their pension. That is why November is the most important month for pensioners every year, because a large number of them submit their annual certificate in this month.
Earlier, pensioners had to visit a bank branch, treasury or pension office for this work. Standing in long queues, filling forms and often making more than one trip was a major problem for elderly people. For those who cannot walk easily or live in remote areas, this work was even harder. Sometimes, a journey from a village to a city was needed only for this one task.
The digital life certificate has reduced this difficulty to a large extent. With the arrival of face authentication technology, the work has become even easier, because it needs neither a fingerprint machine nor any biometric device. If there is a smartphone with a camera, the certificate can be made from any corner of the home. This is why face recognition technology has been given the highest importance in this year’s campaign.
How to make the certificate from home by showing your face
The process of making a digital life certificate from home has been kept very simple so that even elderly people who are less familiar with technology can complete it easily. First, two apps have to be downloaded on the smartphone. The first is the Jeevan Pramaan Face App and the second is the Aadhaar Face RD app. Both apps are available for Android and iOS smartphones and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or the App Store.
After downloading the apps, registration has to be done with the help of the Aadhaar number and mobile number. During registration, a one-time password will arrive on the mobile, which will confirm the identity. After this, pension-related details have to be entered, such as the type of pensioner, the PPO number, the bank or pension-disbursing agency and the sanctioning authority.
After filling in all the information, the pensioner has to show his or her face to the front camera of the mobile. The camera will scan the face and match it with the Aadhaar data. As soon as the face is verified, the digital life certificate will be generated. It can be downloaded and kept safely, and its status can also be checked in the app. A confirmation message is also sent to the registered mobile number once the process is complete.
Some points need attention during this process. There should be good light while scanning the face, and the face should be kept straight in front of the camera. If face verification fails for any reason, there is no need to worry. In such a case, pensioners can also submit their certificate in the usual way by visiting their bank branch, post office or a nearby camp.
Who is supporting the campaign
A whole-of-government approach has been adopted to make this nationwide campaign successful, with several departments and institutions working together. The campaign includes 19 banks, 785 post offices and 56 pensioners’ welfare associations. In addition, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, the Railways and state governments are also cooperating in it.
On the technical front, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Unique Identification Authority of India are giving full support so that the face recognition process runs smoothly. Pension-disbursing banks, the India Post Payments Bank, the Controller General of Defence Accounts and the Department of Telecommunications are also connected with the campaign. The aim of coordination on such a large scale is that no pensioner living in any corner of the country should be left out of this facility.
Special camps are also being organised at many places under the campaign. In these camps, not only life certificates are being made, but facilities like health check-ups and Aadhaar updates are also being provided. This is giving elderly people a chance to finish several tasks at one place. In case of any difficulty, help can also be taken from the grievance officer appointed under the campaign.
Facility for elderly people who cannot reach a bank
The most humane aspect of the campaign is that special attention has been given to elderly people who cannot reach a bank or a camp on their own. For such pensioners, facility at home is being arranged as per need. This means that if an elderly person cannot step out of the house due to illness, age or any other reason, he or she will not have to run around for the certificate.
Family members also have an important role in this. Children or relatives can help their elderly parents or family members by downloading the apps on their smartphones and explaining the process to them. This work is completed in just a few minutes and needs no fee of any kind. Having a family member around also increases the confidence of elderly people and reduces mistakes.
Pensioners who do not have a smartphone need not worry either. They can get their certificate made by visiting their pension-disbursing bank branch, post office or a campaign camp, where staff and volunteers will help them. The only aim is that every pensioner’s certificate should be submitted before the last date of 30 November.
What it means for pensioners in Madhya Pradesh
This nationwide campaign is also running in the districts of Madhya Pradesh, so the facility is equally useful for pensioners of the state. Lakhs of people in the state draw pension from the central government, the state government, the Railways and the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation. A large number of them are elderly people living in small towns and villages, for whom visiting a bank every year is difficult.
Camps related to life certificates have been organised in Madhya Pradesh earlier too. In Indore, camps of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation have been giving pensioners the facility of getting life certificates made. Now, under the nationwide Campaign 5.0, this facility is available on an even larger scale. Pensioners of the state can contact their pension-disbursing bank branch, nearest post office or pensioners’ welfare association to get information about camps in their district.
For pensioners living in the rural areas of the state, the role of post offices is particularly important. Post offices reach village after village, and 785 post offices have been included in the campaign. Therefore, pensioners whose village is far from a bank branch can also take help through the post office. Family members should ensure that the certificates of their elderly relatives are made in time, so that crowding and haste at the end of the month can be avoided.
Precautions: protect your OTP and avoid fake apps
Some precautions are also necessary with digital facilities. Download only the official apps for making a life certificate. The Jeevan Pramaan Face App and the Aadhaar Face RD app are the correct apps. Do not download any app from an unknown link, and do not install any app at the asking of a stranger.
Never share your one-time password with anyone. No government officer or bank employee asks for an OTP on the phone. If someone calls claiming to be an officer and asks for an OTP, understand that it is an attempt at fraud. In such a situation, disconnect the call and contact your bank branch or the nearest police station.
Your Aadhaar number, PPO number and bank account information should also be given only in the official app or at an authorised office. After the certificate is made, keep a copy of it safely so that it can be shown when needed. If any error occurs during the process, instead of repeatedly filling in wrong information, take help at a bank branch or a camp.
Do not wait for the deadline: finish this work in time
The last date of Digital Life Certificate Campaign 5.0 is 30 November 2026. All pensioners should submit their certificates before this date. Crowds are likely to increase in the last days of the month, so it is best to finish this work early.
The aim of this campaign is not merely to make a document, but to assure elderly people that technology is for their convenience, not for their trouble. A technology like face recognition has made the pension system much easier for elderly people than before. Work that earlier took several trips can now be done from home in a few minutes.
Pensioners and their families should take advantage of this facility and also inform other elderly people around them about it. There are many elderly people who do not know about this campaign and are still preparing to visit banks in the old way. Telling them that a certificate can also be made from home by showing their face to a mobile phone is itself a great help. Submitting the certificate in time is the easiest way to keep the pension going without interruption.
Disclaimer: This news has been prepared on the basis of available sources and verification. If there is an error in any fact, a correction will be published.
