New Delhi, August 18: Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh said technology-driven pension services have improved efficiency while reducing manpower and financial costs. Addressing the 9th National ANUBHAV Awards Ceremony 2026 and the 60th Pre-Retirement Counselling Workshop at Vigyan Bhawan, he described retiring and retired government employees as a “national asset” and called for continued use of technology and pensioner feedback to make the system simpler and more responsive.
Dr Singh said pension reforms are aimed not only at providing ease of living to pensioners but also at improving administrative efficiency. He highlighted initiatives such as Digital Life Certificate, Face Authentication, Pension Adalats, Bhavishya and the Integrated Pensioners’ Portal, which have simplified pension processing, reduced physical verification requirements and helped resolve grievances. He said pension procedures are being continuously reviewed, with unnecessary provisions removed and family pension rules strengthened in line with changing social realities.
The minister also conferred National ANUBHAV Awards on five awardees and presented Jury Awards. He said the ANUBHAV initiative, launched in 2015, helps preserve the experience of government employees and provides valuable feedback for improving policies and administrative practices. The 60th Pre-Retirement Counselling Workshop was attended by around 800 officials due to retire in March 2027, covering pension benefits, healthcare, digital life certificates, cyber security, investment options, family pension and grievance redressal. DoPPW Secretary Nivedita Shukla Verma said more than 14,000 experiences have been shared on the ANUBHAV portal, while the 2026 awards received over 2,000 nominations, the highest so far.