New Delhi: The System for Pension Administration – Raksha (SPARSH) has made significant strides in streamlining defence pension management by resolving a majority of legacy discrepancies and dramatically reducing grievance disposal times. Out of 6.43 lakh pending legacy pension cases, SPARSH has successfully addressed 5.60 lakh cases, accounting for 87% resolution, thereby safeguarding the entitlements of defence pensioners.
With over 31.54 lakh defence pensioners across India and Nepal now onboarded onto the SPARSH platform, the system has emerged as the world’s largest pension administration framework for defence personnel, embodying transparency, inclusivity, and operational efficiency.
Faster Grievance Redressal and Outreach Initiatives
SPARSH has strengthened the grievance redressal mechanism, reducing the average disposal time from 56 days in April 2025 to just 20 days currently. Over the past year, more than 100 outreach events were held to engage pensioners, including 211 SPARSH Outreach Programmes and 193 Raksha Pension Samadhan Ayojans (RPSAs).
The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) also participated actively in the 13th and 14th All India Pension Adalats organized under the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, resolving 260 and 252 grievances on the spot, respectively.
Read also: India and Morocco Sign Defence Cooperation MoU to Boost Strategic, Industrial, and Maritime Ties
Financial Transparency and Timely Disbursements
SPARSH’s suo-moto scrutiny of pension cases led to disbursing ₹3.02 crore to 48 pensioners in May 2025. The Defence Pension Budget for FY 2024–25 amounted to ₹1,57,681 crore, which was disbursed in real-time through the SPARSH system.
Notably, following the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP)-III in July 2024, ₹1,224.76 crore was transferred to 20.17 lakh beneficiaries within a remarkable 15-day timeframe.
Extensive Network of Service Centers
Currently, 202 Defence Accounts Department offices, 4.63 lakh Common Service Centers, and over 5,200 bank branches function as SPARSH Service Centers, ensuring widespread accessibility and seamless pension service delivery for defence personnel and pensioners.
Conclusion
SPARSH stands as a pioneering model in defence pension administration, transforming a once fragmented and delayed process into one that prioritizes dignity, efficiency, and accountability. This landmark initiative is set to continue empowering defence pensioners with timely and transparent services, aligning with the government’s commitment to welfare and good governance.
