How receiving digital life certificate becomes a daunting task for India’s elderly

NEW DELHI — Sarita Devi, 61, who does not use a smartphone had a hard time applying for a digital life certificate online. Devi, who uses a feature phone, does not have the facility to download the Aadhar and Jeevan Praman apps — essential to get the digital life certificate. 

Kishan Kumar, 65, also faced a similar problem at one of the digital life certificate centres in the national capital. Since his son’s smartphone is registered with the national pension system, the OTP is generated on his son’s number (who currently lives in another city), creating a problem for Kumar to get a digital life certificate.

The list of such elderly people, who are not part of the vast digital and connected ecosystem yet, is long.

Beginning November 1, the government has rolled out the third and the largest-ever digital life certificates (DLC) campaign nationwide “to promote digital empowerment of pensioners using face authentication technology”. According to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, more than 1.8 lakh pensioners generated their DLCs on the very first day.

While digitisation has helped many pensioners get their life certificates easily, it remains a challenge for those who lack digital skills and are not aware of the digital mechanisms or those who lack the facilities.

To access the DLC, a pensioner must use a smartphone camera and get a facial scan, to help in authentication. The Aadhaar Biometric Authentication makes face, finger, and IRIS authentication through apps such as Jeevan Praman and Aadhaar Face RD App.

One can also physically visit the nearest CSC or pension disbursing banks, post offices, or designated government offices to get DLC.

However, Shanti Verma, an 80-year-old widow who opted to visit one of the common service centres (CSCs) despite her age as she had no one to help her around, was stunned while filling out the form as it asked her whether she had ‘remarried’.

The DLC campaign 3.0 runs in 800 cities or districts across India from November 1-30. “This is the biggest-ever DLC campaign undertaken,” said a statement issued by the personnel ministry.