New Delhi, September 15 (APAC Media): The Department of Rural Development (DoRD) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) have signed an MoU to expand pension awareness, enrolment, and support among rural households through a dedicated network of ‘Pension Sakhis’.
Pension Support Through Rural NetworksÂ
The partnership will leverage the community institutions under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), including Banking Correspondent (BC) Sakhis and trained community resource persons.
The Pension Sakhis will support pension awareness and enrolment while assisting Self Help Group (SHG) members, rural women, Lakhpati Didis and other underserved communities. They will also provide doorstep support, particularly to households in remote rural areas.
Digital Tracking, Financial InclusionÂ
The initiative will use digital dashboards, mobile and web-based platforms, along with unique identifier-based tracking through Central Recordkeeping Agencies, to monitor outreach, enrolment and the performance of Pension Sakhis.
Rohit Kansal, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, said social security is a key pillar of inclusive growth and can help SHG households manage vulnerabilities, build resilience and achieve sustained prosperity.
Mamta Shankar, Whole Time Member (Economics), PFRDA, stressed the importance of retirement planning amid increasing life expectancy and changing demographic trends.
She said the collaboration could encourage greater adoption of pension products, including the National Pension System (NPS), among rural households with limited access to formal social security mechanisms.
DoRD said it will support the implementation of the MoU and facilitate the deployment of Pension Sakhis across the country.
The two organisations said the initiative is expected to strengthen pension awareness and literacy, deepen financial inclusion and improve social security protection for rural communities.
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