SPARSH: Defence Pension Disbursement for Over 31 Lakh Pensioners

The System for Pension Administration (Raksha), popularly known as SPARSH, is a flagship initiative under Digital India, launched in October 2020. It was conceptualised to overhaul the cumbersome, multi-agency defence pension disbursement system and replace it with a centralised, transparent, and efficient platform.

As of now, approximately 31 lakh of the total 32 lakh defence pensioners have been successfully onboarded to SPARSH, marking a significant milestone in digitising and streamlining pension delivery for ex-servicemen and defence civilians across the country.

Why SPARSH Was Needed

Under the previous Legacy System, the pension sanctioning and disbursement process was managed by three different agencies and over 45,000 public interfaces, including banks, post offices, state treasuries and even the Indian Embassy in Nepal.

This decentralised approach had several shortcomings:

• Delayed and incorrect pension disbursement
  
• Lack of transparency and visibility for pensioners
  
• Widows often receive only minimum fixed pensions
  
• Grievances largely unattended due to lack of technical knowledge and coordination

The fragmentation not only led to inefficiencies but also caused emotional and financial distress, particularly among vulnerable pensioners such as widows and elderly dependents.

SPARSH: A Unified and Transparent System

SPARSH brings both the sanctioning and disbursement of pensions onto a single digital platform. It ensures direct credit of pensions into the pensioners’ bank accounts, eliminating intermediaries and thereby reducing errors and delays.

Key features include:

• Real-time access to personal and pension details
  
• A grievance redressal mechanism
  
• Online facilities for data correction and status tracking
  
• Transparency in eligibility and revision process

Pensioners can now identify data mismatches—be it in Aadhaar, PAN, name, family details, or mobile number—and request corrections seamlessly.

Proactive Outreach for Pensioners

Recognising that many veterans live in remote areas and are not tech-savvy, the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) has launched various outreach initiatives to support the transition and ongoing use of SPARSH.

Raksha Pension Samadhan Ayojans (RPSAs)

Seven such events were organised across the country between January and December 2024 to address the concerns of veterans, especially in digitally inaccessible regions.

SPARSH Outreach Programmes

Over 90 outreach programmes were conducted by DAD during the same period, with representatives actively participating in Ex-Servicemen (ESM) Rallies and Veteran Meets organised by the Armed Forces.

SPARSH Helpline

A toll-free number (1800-180-5325) has been set up by the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), with trained staff having answered over 50 lakh calls since 2014.

Infrastructure and Last-Mile Support

To ensure no pensioner is left behind, an extensive support network has been put in place:

• 201 Defence Accounts Department offices

• Branches of 16 banks, including India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)

• Over 4.63 lakh Common Services Centres (CSCs)

These centres assist pensioners with tasks such as identification, grievance registration, casualty reporting, IT declarations, and resolving technical queries.

Tackling Data Quality Challenges

While migrating pensioners from the Legacy System to SPARSH, several inconsistencies in personal and pension data were discovered. These discrepancies stem from poor data maintenance by the previous Pension Disbursing Authorities (PDAs).

To address this, DAD is not only responding to grievances but also proactively updating data to ensure accurate and uninterrupted pension flow. This proactive data reconciliation process is being executed on a war footing.

Conclusion

SPARSH represents a significant leap in delivering timely, transparent, and accountable pension services to India’s defence community. By empowering pensioners with access to information and a clear grievance mechanism, the initiative is setting new benchmarks in public service delivery.

While challenges in data quality and outreach remain, the robust infrastructure and continuous engagement efforts suggest a promising future for a more inclusive and efficient pension system in India.

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