According to a press release by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in FY 2023-24, 10% of the total digital life certificates submitted were made using facial authentication technology (FAT). “Since its launch at EPFO, Facial Authentication Technology DLCs have been submitted by 2.1 lakh pensioners in 2022-23, which rose to 6.6 lakh in 2023-24 which reflects a growth of 200% year-on-year in the use of this technology. It is also noteworthy that the 6.6 lakh FAT-based DLCs in 2023-24 comprise almost 10% of the total DLCs received during the year. Taken together around 60 Lakh DLCs were received from the pensioners during the last financial year,” said EPFO in a press release dated June 8, 2024.
There are more than 78 lakh pensioners, who are required to submit a life certificate every year for continuation of the pension being paid to them and 6.6 lakh of these people used facial authentication technology in FY 2023-24.
“Earlier they had to go to banks to submit physical life certificates which had its challenges resulting in some grievances,” said EPFO in the press release.
How to submit a digital life certificate using face authentication technology on an Android phone
As per the Jeevan Pramaan website, there are three ways to submit a digital life certificate: Windows PC, Android mobile/tablet, and central and state government offices. You need to make sure that your Aadhaar number is registered with the bank, post office or any other pension disbursing authority.
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The use of facial authentication methods requires the installation of two applications: ‘Aadhaar Face RD’ and ‘Jeevan Pramaan’ in Android smartphones. “The operator authentication for these applications is carried out through Aadhaar linked mobile numbers. Detailed guidelines are provided in the Apps to ensure a successful face scan. Once the scan is completed, the DLC submission is confirmed on the mobile screen along with the Jeevan Pramaan ID and PPO number, completing the process conveniently from home,” said EPFO in the press release.Here’s a step-by-step guide for Android smartphone users:
Do note that you need an Android (version 7.0 and above) un-rooted smartphone with at least 5-megapixel front or rear facing camera. Needless to say, you also need internet connectivity for this.
- Step 1: Go to the Google Play Store and install the ‘AadhaarFaceRd’ app. As per Jeevan Pramaan website once the app is installed it will not be shown on the phone’s home screen and also has no icon. “The App is visible in Settings then App Info,” said Jeevan Pramaan’s website.
- Step 2: Now download and Install the Jeevan Pramaan Face app from the Google Play Store.
- Step 3: Complete the one-time operator authentication process on the Jeevan Pramaan app. Any individual, including a pensioner, can register as an operator.
- Step 4: Type in your details and complete the Aadhaar-based face authentication process for pensioners.
“After you have successfully authenticated yourself through face scan, the application restarts itself and a toast is shown: ‘Client Registration Successful’ which states that the Operator Registration is successful,” said Jeevan Pramaan in a guide document.
To complete the face authentication process for pensioners you should enter the Aadhaar number and mobile number. The email address field is optional. An OTP will come on both mobile number and email address (if you have given one). Enter it and submit it. After successful OTP validation, the screen will be either blank or will have prefilled details. Check the pre-filled details or type in if it’s blank.
“This authentication is carried out against UIDAI‘s Aadhaar database using UIDAI‘s Face Recognition App,” as per the press release by EPFO.
