India’s digital life certificate initiative becomes daunting task for elderly
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New Delhi: For many of India’s elderly pensioners, obtaining a digital life certificate (DLC) has turned into a frustrating challenge, exposing the growing digital divide. Sarita Devi, 61, who does not own a smartphone, struggled to apply for a digital life certificate online. Without access to essential apps like Aadhaar and Jeevan Praman, Devi was unable to complete the process, highlighting the barriers faced by older citizens in an increasingly digital world.
Kishan Kumar, 65, encountered another issue when attempting to obtain his DLC. Due to his son’s smartphone being linked to the national pension system, the one-time password (OTP) for authentication was sent to his son’s number, who lives in another city, creating yet another roadblock.
Since November 1, the government has rolled out its largest-ever digital life certificate campaign, aimed at empowering pensioners through face authentication technology. Despite the campaign’s success, over 1.8 lakh pensioners generated their DLCs on the first day, many elderly citizens remain excluded from the digital revolution.
To access the DLC, pensioners must have a smartphone with a camera capable of capturing facial scans for authentication via Aadhaar Biometric Authentication. However, this is an insurmountable challenge for those unfamiliar with digital tools or without access to modern technology.
Eighty-year-old Shanti Verma, a widow, opted to visit a Common Service Centre (CSC) to get help, but was shocked when the form asked her if she had “remarried”, a question that left her feeling overlooked and disrespected.
With the campaign running through November 30 in over 800 cities across India, the government’s push for digital empowerment of pensioners is significant. However, the hurdles many elderly citizens face in navigating the digital world remain a critical concern.
The ongoing initiative, while promoting digitization, underscores the urgent need to bridge the digital divide and ensure that all elderly pensioners, regardless of their digital literacy, can access essential services without facing such barriers.
With IANS inputs