New Delhi, June 16: Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, announced on Tuesday that the benefits of governance and pension reforms in Jammu and Kashmir have reached a larger segment of employees and pensioners since the region became a Union Territory 12 years ago.
According to an official statement, Dr. Singh noted that the number of central government employees in Jammu and Kashmir increased following its reorganization, leading to initial challenges related to workload and service delivery.
He emphasized that these challenges have been gradually addressed through coordinated efforts by the government and relevant agencies.
During the event, the Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare Department, in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Bank, launched a new initiative aimed at expanding pension-related services and making them more accessible for pensioners in the Union Territory.
Dr. Singh stated that this partnership will strengthen the service delivery system, helping more pensioners in Jammu and Kashmir easily benefit from ongoing pension reforms.
He highlighted that the reforms over the past decade have transformed the Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare Department from merely processing pensions to a dedicated institution focused on the welfare of pensioners.
The minister credited the ‘Future’ platform for bringing significant improvements to pension administration, enabling complete digitization of the pension process. Pension payment orders are now linked to DigiLocker, allowing retired employees transparent and easy access to pension documents without paperwork.
With the introduction of digital life certificates through face authentication technology, pensioners can submit their life certificates from the comfort of their homes using their mobile phones.
Dr. Singh reported that a nationwide digital life certificate campaign conducted in November 2025 saw record participation, with over 19.1 million digital life certificates created, of which more than 11.6 million were issued via face authentication technology.
The government has also strengthened its grievance redressal system by implementing mechanisms such as CPENGRAMS, subject-based review systems, and national pension courts, facilitating quicker resolution of pension-related complaints.
He noted that reforms concerning family pensions, additional pensions, retirement benefits, and cases involving missing employees have further bolstered the social security framework for pensioners and their families.
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