In a significant step towards streamlining and securing the pension disbursement process for defence personnel, the Ministry of Defence has successfully onboarded approximately 31 lakh out of a total 32 lakh defence pensioners onto the SPARSH (System for Pension Administration – Raksha) portal. This initiative, launched in October 2020 under the Digital India vision, aims to make pension processing more transparent, efficient, and accessible for Armed Forces veterans and defence civilians across the country.
The SPARSH portal has brought a much-needed transformation to the way pensions are managed, by directly crediting pension amounts to the bank accounts of pensioners without intermediaries. However, the real success of this initiative lies not just in the technological upgrade but in the sensitivity shown towards the concerns of the pensioners, especially those who live in remote areas, elderly family pensioners, widows, and those who are not familiar with digital systems.
Recognising the challenges faced by pensioners living in rural and far-flung areas, the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) and the Ministry of Defence have been actively conducting outreach programs. Special pension grievance redressal camps, called Raksha Pension Samadhan Ayojans, have been organised at various locations to ensure no veteran or family pensioner feels left behind. Between January and December 2024, seven such camps were held, and over 90 outreach programmes were conducted to personally assist the pensioners in resolving their issues.
Additionally, pensioners can seek help through the dedicated toll-free helpline managed by the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Prayagraj, which has handled more than 50 lakh calls since its inception in 2014. For many elderly pensioners and widows, this helpline has been a lifeline, offering clarity and comfort about their financial security.
The introduction of SPARSH has addressed many issues that persisted in the old pension system, where multiple sanctioning agencies and disbursing banks often led to errors, delays, and lack of transparency. Pensioners, particularly widows, frequently faced hardships due to incorrect data, miscalculations, or communication gaps. By integrating the sanctioning and disbursing functions into a single digital platform, SPARSH has brought much-needed order and accountability.
The system now allows pensioners to view their pension details in real-time and has empowered them to raise grievances or request corrections through an online mechanism — something that was virtually impossible earlier. While this has led to an increase in the number of grievances being reported, it reflects a positive shift towards transparency, ensuring that pensioners finally have a voice and platform to fix errors that impacted their livelihoods for years.
To further ease access, the Defence Accounts Department has set up SPARSH Service Centres across the country. These centres are especially helpful for senior citizens and people living in remote locations who may not be comfortable with digital tools. Presently, 201 DAD offices, 16 bank branches, and over 4.63 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) are operational to assist pensioners in every part of the country.
Even as the migration process nears completion, efforts are ongoing to clean and update legacy data that was inaccurate or incomplete. The authorities are proactively correcting data discrepancies to ensure uninterrupted pension payments.
The implementation of SPARSH reflects a sensitive and sustained effort by the government to honour the service of India’s defence personnel by ensuring that their post-retirement financial needs are handled with dignity, transparency, and care.
