SPARSH: System for Pension Administration (Raksha)

Context: Recently, Ministry of Defense has signed an agreement with CSC e-Governance Services India Limited (under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) to expand the coverage of pension services under SPARSH or System for Pension Administration (Raksha) across four lakh Common Service Centers.

• This will provide last mile connectivity to pensioners, especially those who live in remote areas of the country and those who do not have access or technical knowledge and skill to use SPARSH.
• For the pensioners, the Service Centers will provide help in profile updating, registering grievances, digital identification, data verification, etc.
• Access to these service centers would be provided free of cost to the pensioners, with nominal service charges being borne by the Department of Ministry.

About SPARSH

• SPARSH or System for Pension Administration is an initiative of the Ministry of Defense.
• It aims to provide comprehensive services to defense pensioners.
• It promotes the Government's vision of ‘Digital India’, ‘Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)’ and ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’.
• The system will initially cover new retirees and with the time programme will expand to cover the existing defense pensioners.
• The system will provide all kinds of services to pensionioners, including registration, annual verification, etc.
• It records and maintains a complete history of events; from the date of registration of pension to the date of closing of pension due.

Expected outcome

• The ‘SPARSH’ initiative will ensure transparency, efficiency, and responsiveness in the pension administration system.
• It will promote ease of living and resolve pension-related grievances in a time-bound manner.
• It will ensure that no pensioner is deprived of their rightful benefits.

Note: One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme ensures that “same pension to defense personnel for the same rank for the same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement”.