A Veteran's Guide To SPARSH: How To Avail Your Defence Pension Online

The Raksha Pension System, or SPARSH, has transformed India's defence pensioners' process of receiving and managing their pensions. The Ministry of Defence introduced it in October 2020 with an aim to make pension disbursal transparent, direct, and efficient as part of the Digital India vision.

According to a March 2025 press release published by the Press Information Bureau, close to 31 lakh out of 32 lakh defence pensioners are already registered on SPARSH. Their pensions are credited to their bank accounts in advance, saving time and errors associated with the old system.

SPARSH is a centralised pension processing system operated by Defence Accounts Department (DAD) under the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Prayagraj. SPARSH allows pensioners to view their pension information, file complaints, and obtain data updates—all through one portal.

What SPARSH Replaces

Previously, the pensions were sanctioned by three separate agencies for the Army, Navy, and the Air Force and paid via over 45,000 post offices, treasury offices, and bank branches. This earlier led to delays, lack of transparency, and mistakes, mainly affecting family pensioners and widows.

These problems were meant to be resolved through SPARSH. Nowadays, sanctioning and disbursal are both taking place on one platform. Pensioners have instant access to their information and eligibility and are able to make requests for update or correction directly.

Who Is Eligible

SPARSH covers retired defence personnel of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, defence civilians, and family pensioners such as widows, dependent parents, or children of deceased defence personnel. Pensioners living abroad, even in Nepal, are covered where Indian embassies facilitate conducting the system.

Pension Structure Under SPARSH

Pension amount under SPARSH scheme is calculated as 50 per cent of the total salary of an individual, including basic pay, allowances, and other benefits. The minimum monthly pension amount is currently Rs 9,000, which ensures a basic financial support for the beneficiaries. 

On the other hand, the maximum pension allowed is capped at 50 per cent of the highest pay in the Government of India. For individuals with disabilities, a disability element—based on the percentage of disability—is added to the total pension amount. 

How To Enrol In SPARSH

New pensioners are automatically registered in SPARSH by the Defence Accounts Department. They receive unique SPARSH IDs and passwords on their registered mobile number and email address.

Old pensioners being paid pensions through banks are being transmigrated in phases to SPARSH. Post-migration, they are being prompted by SMS, email, or mail and asked to log in and verify their details.

To view the portal, the pensioners can log in to sparsh.defencepension.gov.in. After clicking 'Login,' they have to enter their SPARSH ID and set a new password. When logging in, they can view their pension statement, personal information, and bank statements. If there is any discrepancy, they can request correction.

Services Available On SPARSH

Pensioners are able to report their payment slips, tax vouchers and pension orders. They can also submit life certificates once a year, update personal or bank details, report family changes and file complaints.

The portal also indicates any missing or incorrect information—like incorrect names or missing Aadhaar and PAN number—so users can correct them.

Help For Pensioners Without Internet Access

To help pensioners living in remote or rural areas, the government has set up Raksha Pension Samadhan Ayojans. These are physical grievance redressal camps, useful especially for elderly pensioners and widows.

Seven of these camps were held during January to December 2024 all over the country. More than 90 outreach programmes were also conducted by the Defence Accounts Department. Besides, support desks were present at ex-servicemen rallies and veteran congregations as well.

Now, 201 Defence Accounts Department offices, 16 bank branches, and nearly 4.63 lakh Common Service Centres are operational across India to help pensioners avail SPARSH services.

Where To Seek Help

Pensioners may seek help by dialling the toll-free helpline number 1800-180-5325. So far, over 50 lakh calls have been made. These centres and call channels help pensioners with identity-related problems, document upload, and reporting of incidents such as deaths or convictions.