System for Pension Administration (Raksha): UPSC Daily Important Topic | 1 June 2023

System for Pension Administration (Raksha):

✓Recently, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) introduced a portal, System for Pension Administration (Raksha) (SPARSH), to directly transfer pension to the pensioners.

✓SPARSH is implemented for meeting the pension sanction and disbursement requirements for Armed Forces viz. Army, Navy, Air Force and Defence Civilians.

✓ This web-based system processes pension claims and credits pension directly into bank accounts of defence pensioners without relying on any external intermediary.

✓The receipt of pension to the pensioners is usually done by all banks acting as Pension Disbursing Agencies.

✓The system would cater to all activities of the pension cycle namely, Initiation and Sanction; Disbursement; Revision; and Service and Grievance Request Management.