**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Ministry of Rural Development's response to questions regarding the Digital Life Certificate (DLC) initiative and its impact on beneficiaries under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). The initiative aims to reduce exclusion errors and administrative burden by enabling digital verification of life certificates, especially for senior citizens and those with limited mobility. The response, dated 03/02/2026, includes details on the number of beneficiaries covered and the reduction in processing time achieved through the DLC initiative.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Initiative:**
* DLC is a mobile application for Aadhaar-based biometric verification of NSAP beneficiaries.
* It fetches beneficiary details using Aadhaar, obtains consent, and authenticates identity via facial recognition or biometric scans.
* A real-time life certificate is generated and notified to the beneficiary upon successful verification.
* **Benefits of DLC:**
* Reduces exclusion errors among senior citizens and persons with limited mobility by eliminating physical visits for life certification.
* Ensures timely submission of life certificates, preventing pension stoppages and ensuring continuity of income support.
* Reduces processing time and administrative burden by replacing manual verification with real-time digital authentication.
* Verification is completed instantaneously or within 24-48 hours.
* **NSAP Guidelines:**
* No beneficiary shall be denied assistance due to non-availability of a bank/Post Office account and/or Aadhaar number.
* States/UTs are directed to ensure technology and digitization do not impede the delivery of benefits.
* **Data Included in Annexure:**
* Details of DLCs registered in the DumkaLokSabha constituency.
* State/UT-wise details of active beneficiaries and DLCs registered under NSAP pension schemes.
**Impact Analysis**
**Senior Citizens and Persons with Limited Mobility**
* **Impact:** Reduced exclusion errors, elimination of the need for physical visits for life certification, and easier access to life certificate submission.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the DLC mobile application or doorstep-based verification for timely life certificate submission.
**NSAP Beneficiaries**
* **Impact:** Ensures continuity of income support and prevents avoidable stoppage of pensions through timely digital verification.
* **Action Required:** No action required, however, no beneficiary can be denied services due to non-availability of bank/post office account or Aadhar number.
**State/UT Governments**
* **Impact:** Expected to implement and support the DLC initiative to streamline verification processes.
* **Action Required:** Ensure the use of technology and digitization does not impede the delivery of benefits to beneficiaries.
**Ministry of Rural Development**
* **Impact:** Improving the efficiency and accessibility of the NSAP program through digital initiatives.
* **Action Required:** No action required. The ministry has already initiated the DLC program.
Key Entities Referenced
Digital Life Certificate (DLC): A mobile application for Aadhaar-based biometric verification of beneficiaries
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP): The program under which the Digital Life Certificate is used for beneficiary verification.
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT: The ministry responsible for assessing the impact of the Digital Life Certificate initiative.
DumkaLokSabha: Parliamentary constituency where the initial impact of the DLC initiative was assessed
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 538
ANSWERED ON 03/02/2026
DIGITAL LIFE CERTIFICATION INITIATIVE
538. Shri P P Chaudhary:
Smt. ShobhanabenMahendrasinhBaraiya:
Shri Nalin Soren:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Ministry has assessed the impact of reduction in
exclusion errors for senior citizens and persons with limited
mobility in DumkaLokSabha constituency through the Digital
Life Certificate Initiative, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the number of beneficiaries covered under this initiative, State-
wise;
(c) the details of measurable reduction in processing time and
administrative burden achieved through Digital Life Certificate;
(d) whether the Ministry has identified any measurable indicators
that reflect improved access to Government services; and
(e) if so, the details thereof including the number of beneficiaries,
State-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a) to (e): Digital Life Certificate (DLC) is a mobile application
developed for Aadhaar-based biometric verification of beneficiaries
under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). The
application fetches beneficiary details using Aadhaar, obtains
consent, and authenticates identity through facial recognition or
biometric scans. Upon successful verification, a real-time life
certificate is generated and notified to the beneficiary via mobile.
Page 1 of 4Digital Life Certificate initiative reduces exclusion errors
among senior citizens and persons with limited mobility by
eliminating the need for physical visits to offices for life
certification. By enabling self-digital verification using Mobile
Application and doorstep-based verification, the initiative ensures
timely submission of life certificates, thereby preventing avoidable
stoppage of pensions and ensuring continuity of income support for
vulnerable beneficiaries.
DLC initiative has led to reduction in processing time and
administrative burden by replacing manual, paper-based verification
with real-time digital authentication. With DLC, verification is
completed instantaneously or within 24–48 hours.
A steady increase in the number of life certificates generated
digitally since it was launched; indicate wider reach and easier
access for beneficiaries, especially senior citizens and persons with
limited mobility. However, NSAP guidelines categorically provide
that no beneficiary shall be denied assistance amount on the
grounds of non-availability of a bank/Post Office account and/or
Aadhaar number. The Government has also issued directions to all
States/UTs to ensure that the use of technology and digitization
does not impede the delivery of benefits to beneficiaries. Details of
DLCs registered in the DumkaLokSabha Constituency, along with
information on active beneficiaries and DLCs registered under NSAP
pension schemes (State/UT-wise) are provided at Annexure.
*****
Page 2 of 4Annexure
Annexure referred to in parts (a) to (e) of LokSabhaUnstarred
Question No. 538 to be answered on 03.02.2026 regarding Digital
Life Certification initiative
Details of DLC registered in DumkaLokSabha constituency
S.No. District Total active Beneficiary Total DLC Registered
1 DUMKA 52091 29720
2 JAMTARA 38974 23749
3 DEOGHAR 44820 19886
(Source: NSAP-PPS portal)
State/UT-wise details of Active beneficiary (as per NSAP- PPS
Portal) and DLC registered
Total Active Total DLC
S.No. State
Beneficiary Registered
1 ANDAMAN and NICOBAR 588 447
2 ANDHRA PRADESH 2289991 4
3 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 50338 1
4 ASSAM 818456 277976
5 BIHAR 4595741 22465
6 CHANDIGARH 4964 1
7 CHHATTISGARH 804882 603649
8 DELHI 140627 224
9 GOA 13684 0
10 GUJARAT 724889 486442
11 HARYANA 443964 35
12 HIMACHAL PRADESH 116005 28
13 JAMMU and KASHMIR 135313 36450
14 JHARKHAND 1097732 605825
15 KARNATAKA 1396243 454215
16 KERALA 856962 2
17 LADAKH 7157 410
18 LAKSHADWEEP 256 0
19 MADHYA PRADESH 1952949 28757
20 MAHARASHTRA 1210245 318763
21 MANIPUR 64170 26519
22 MEGHALAYA 65344 17345
Page 3 of 423 MIZORAM 27441 463
24 NAGALAND 62055 0
25 ODISHA 1945205 55402
26 PUDUCHERRY 28986 0
27 PUNJAB 52822 43804
28 RAJASTHAN 1144601 150
29 SIKKIM 1924 0
30 TAMIL NADU 1766374 4
31 TELANGANA 710643 16
DADRA and NAGAR HAVELI
32 19446 0
and DAMAN and DIU
33 TRIPURA 137970 89810
34 UTTARAKHAND 229166 11
35 UTTAR PRADESH 5832339 1495
36 WEST BENGAL 2013452 1758201
TOTAL 30762924 4828914
(Source: NSAP-PPS portal)
*****
Page 4 of 4