Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, called for a comprehensive review of pension regulations to ensure they reflect evolving social realities and prevent litigation through timely policy reforms rather than resolving disputes after they reach courts. The Minister emphasized that the government is committed to creating a zero-litigation pension ecosystem through simplified rules, improved grievance redressal, and stronger coordination among Ministries.
During the 2nd National Workshop on Pension Litigation organized by the Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare, Dr. Singh launched three key initiatives: the Compendium of Case Laws on Pension Litigation, a Flyer on Pension Litigation, and the Special Campaign 3.0 aimed at strengthening litigation management and promoting citizen-centric pension administration.
The Minister highlighted recent reforms including extending pension benefits to separated daughters by simplifying eligibility conditions and reforming family pension provisions to eliminate the need for lengthy legal proceedings. He noted that recurring litigation often indicates rules requiring reconsideration and urged departments to adopt a research-driven approach by analyzing litigation trends and incorporating stakeholder feedback.
Significant operational metrics were disclosed: litigation cases on the Department's Litigation Information Management System (LIMS) have declined by nearly 20% over the past year. Digital governance initiatives have generated 1.92 crore Digital Life Certificates (DLCs), while the average time for disposal of pension grievances through the CPENGRAMS portal has been reduced to less than 20 days. Over 60,000 pension applications have been processed through the newly introduced single sign-on, e-signed pension application system.
The workshop was attended by senior officials including Ms. Nivedita Shukla Verma (Secretary, Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare), Smt. Sukriti Likhi (Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare), Dr. Rajiv Mani (Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs), and R. Venkataramani (Attorney General for India). The program featured technical sessions on pension litigation before tribunals and courts, litigation management, standardization of case laws, and policy interventions to minimize avoidable disputes.