Digital Dreams, Real-Life Delays—Inside the SPARSH Struggles of Army Pensioners

Image Source : IGECorner

The SPARSH (System for Pension Administration – Raksha) portal, launched to simplify pension disbursement for India’s defence personnel, is facing mounting criticism from army veterans and their families. Designed to replace legacy bankbased systems, SPARSH has instead triggered widespread frustration due to technical glitches, data errors, and poor accessibility.

Key concerns raised by veterans:

Many pensioners report missing or incorrect personal details, leading to delays in pension payments and misclassification of entitlements.
Widows have been listed as dependents of living spouses, blocking family pension claims.
NRI veterans are unable to access the geofenced portal, with authorities suggesting VPN use as a workaround.
The grievance redressal system is largely unresponsive, with complaints marked resolved despite no action taken.

Operational challenges:

Login credentials are often not issued, and demographic mismatches prevent access even when credentials are available.
Pensioners under “AS_IS” status continue to receive payments via old bank records, but lack updated digital PPOs, affecting arrears and additional pension eligibility.
Common Service Centres (CSCs), meant to assist digitally illiterate pensioners, are either nonfunctional or charge fees, with some accused of misusing pension data.

Calls for reform:

Veterans and advocacy groups are urging the Defence Ministry to halt further migration until the system stabilizes.
Suggestions include removing geofencing, improving helpline support, and allowing optouts for elderly and rural pensioners.

Despite official assurances, SPARSH’s rollout has exposed a deep disconnect between digital policy and ground realities, leaving many veterans in financial and emotional distress.

Sources: News9Live, OneIndia, SP’s Land Forces, ESM Corner.