EPFO launches face authentication for pensioners to submit certificates

Retirement fund body EPFO on Saturday introduced a facility to allow its over 7.3 mn pensioners to submit digital life certificate using face authentication technology from anywhere

Retirement fund body EPFO on Saturday introduced a facility to allow its over 73 lakh pensioners to submit digital life certificate using face authentication technology from anywhere.

This face recognition authentication will aid aged pensioners who face difficulties in getting their bio-metrics (Finger print & Iris) captured due to old age for filing the life certificate.

Union Minister of Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav who also chairs EPFO's apex decision making body the Central Board of Trustees, launched the face authentication technology for pensioners, stated a labour ministry statement.

Earlier in the day, the CBT in its 231st meeting gave in-principal approval for centralized disbursal of pension for further improving the EPFO services for pensioners.

The roll out stages and modalities will be further evolved, it stated.

Yadav also launched a pension and employees deposit linked insurance scheme calculator providing online facility to pensioner and family members to calculate the benefits of Pension and Death Linked Insurance Benefit for which they are eligible.

The minister also released the training policy of EPFO which aims at developing the officers and staff of EPFO into a competent, responsive and future-ready cadre committed to fulfil the vision and mission of EPFO as a world class social security provider.

Under the training policy, 14,000 personnel will be trained annually for 8 days and the total budget will be 3 per cent of the salary budget.

The minister also released the Legal Framework Document with the objective to transform EPFO into an efficient and responsible Litigant to ensure the conduct of litigation in a coordinated and time bound manner.

He also laid the foundation stone of Regional Office building, Udupi in virtual mode. The Bhoomi Poojan was locally done by K Raghupathi Bhat, MLA Udupi Assembly.

The CBT also approved appointment of CITI Bank as Custodian of securities of EPFO for three years. The proposal for the extension of the tenure of present custodian Standard Chartered Bank till new custodian takes over was also ratified.

The proposal for the extension of Tenure of ETF manufacturer of SBI MF and UTI MF was also ratified.