Certificate

Steps to Apply for a Passport

The following are the steps to apply for a new passport or a reissue of an old one.

• For the first time, go to the Passport Seva Online website and register.
• Passport Seva Online Portal Login
• Apply for a new passport or a passport reissue.
• You have the option of downloading the form, filling it out, and uploading it back to the website, or simply filling out the information online.
• Submit the Application after filling out the form, either online or offline.
• Make a payment and make an appointment.
• Confirmation of your appointment at the Passport Seva Kendra, with all relevant details (PSK).
• For appointment confirmation, print the Application Receipt.
• Bring your receipt to Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) on the day of your appointment.
• Give your biometrics (fingerprints), have your documents checked and receive a receipt. It takes about 2-4 hours to complete.
• After the police have checked your identity, you will receive your passport.
• You can monitor the progress of your passport application.

ECR or ECNR

As defined by the Emigration Act of 1983, emigration is defined as an Indian citizen leaving India with the intention of seeking employment in a foreign country. Emigration Check Required stands for Emigration Check Required, while Emigration Check Not Required stands for Emigration Check Not Required. If you passed class ten, you are automatically placed in the ECNR grades.

Emigration Check Required is the complete form of ECR

• If you have not completed class ten, your passport will be classified as ECR (Emigration Check Required). When you leave India for work in one of the countries on the list, you must obtain permission from the immigration office.
• You do not need emigration clearance if you travel to any of the mentioned countries for reasons other than work (ex-visit, service, or any other reason).
• You do not need emigration clearance if you are travelling to any of the other countries mentioned, regardless of whether you are qualified for ECNR or not.

If your passport status is ECR, you may need to obtain permission from the immigration office to travel to the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Dubai, Oman, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

In the passport, no notation means ECR for the passport is published before January 2007.

No notation in the passport means ECNR for passports published in or after January 2007.

If an Emigration Check is required, the passport will be stamped with an ECR endorsement, i.e. The stamp would be on your passport page if you have an ECR passport. ECR Emigration Check Required is written on the stamp, as seen in the image below.

Documents to Carry During The Visit To The Passport Office On The Appointment Date

You must bring original documents as well as one self-attested duplicate copy of the following documents to the passport office:

• Address proof is needed. Water/telephone/electricity/gas charge, income tax assessment order, election ID card, parent’s passport, etc.) Gas Connection Proof, On letterhead, a certificate from a reputable employer, Spouse’s passport copy (first and last page along with the family details), (provided the applicant’s current address matches the address mentioned in the spouse’s passport), Parent’s passport copy, if the applicant is a child (First and last page), Photo Passbook of a Working Bank Account, Aadhaar Card, Registered Rent Agreement (Scheduled Private Sector Indian Banks, Scheduled Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks only)
• Proof of birth date – Birth certificate issued by a municipal authority or any office approved by the Registrar.
• Class Xth or the graduation certificate as a document for ECNR.

Normal passport applications from first-time applicants who include Aadhaar, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card, and an affidavit in the format of Annexure will be processed on a Post-Police Verification basis, allowing for faster passport issuance without the payment of any additional fees, subject to effective online Aadhaar number validation. Additionally, if necessary, the EPIC and PAN cards can be validated from the respective databases. The Passports Act and Passports Law will refer to the general laws, legislation, and procedures relating to passport issuance.

Visiting The Passport Office On The Appointment Date

On the scheduled date, bring your application receipt, original documents, and one copy of self-attested documents to the Passport Seva Kendra. If you are applying for a passport for a minor, please bring your parents’ original passports. For a minor, only one parent is permitted. The images are from an official presentation at Passport Seva Kendra on how to apply.

Security Checks at the Passport Kendra

Arrive 15 minutes before the starting time. It’s pointless to arrive early because the guard will not let you in. To gain access, you must show the guard the Application. The picture below depicts the procedure for sending an application to the Passport, Seva Kendra. The Passport Seva Kendra has a Xerox machine and an ATM on the premises.

To submit a passport in PSK format, you must follow the steps below.

Issuing Token

Display the documents in the preprocessing section. You will be given a token and a file if all goes well. If any of the records are missing, you will be notified. You will go the next day without making an appointment.

The token number is included in Token. You must visit counters A, B, and C. You wait in the lounge area while waiting for your Token.

Enter the area where you’ll be waiting. Wait until your token number appears on the Token Display Screen, as shown below.

A Counter, B Counter, and C Counter

Within 30 minutes to an hour of arriving, one is at the counter. However, Counter B and Counter C take time because Counter A has more people than Counter B and Counter C.

Passport Save Kendra’s Waiting Area

A Counter: Your documents will be checked and uploaded into the Passport Seva System at this counter. Your picture and fingerprints will be taken. If you want to pay for SMS notification, you can do so at the counter for Rs 40 and get a receipt. The passport office will then send you warning messages, such as:

• Received Passport application
• Initiated Police verification
• Police will further approach you for completing the verifications
• There is a positive verification result
• Passport is then printed
• Passport then gets printed and mailed to you through the speed post with a tracking number
• Your passport will then be delivered to you

B Counter: the officer verifies and corrects original records.

C Counter: The passport is granted after a designated officer makes a decision.

Tracking the Status Of Passport Application

Suppose you want to watch your application’s status and review it online; you can also dial 1800-258-1800 for assistance. The mPassport Seva App is available for Android, iOS, Windows, and BlackBerry. This allows for easy monitoring as well as other passport-related details.

You can log in with your information if you want to file a complaint. Your complaint can be submitted at http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/ccgm/ServiceRequestHomeAction.

Passport’s Police Verification

For Minor Passports, there is no police verification. There are three main types of police authentication, depending on whether the police verify the applicant’s identity before the passport is issued and dispatched or after the passport is issued and dispatched. On the passport website, you can find a list of frequently asked questions about police verification.

• Pre-police verification. Carried before issuing the passport.
• Post police verification. Carried after issuing the passport. For example, for PSU employees or the government employees submitting a NOC through Annexure M.
• No police verification. Except in Tatkal, police verification for passport issuance should be completed in 21 days under the Right to Service Act provisions. That means a police report must be sent to the Regional Passport Office (RPO) within that time frame. Several factors determine the length of time it takes for the police to verify your identity.
• The PSK location where you apply your Application and the address where you live
• The condition of the police station – whether or not they have a dedicated passport verification team.
• Length of stay at current address – police will conduct background checks at all places where you lived in the previous year.
• You also need to provide documentary evidence.

As part of the government’s efforts to strengthen and liberalise police verification procedures for passport issuance, the Ministry of External Affairs has agreed to conduct police verification after the passport has been released. The instruction is for first-time applicants who are applying under the standard category. “Normal passport applications of all first-time applicants furnishing Aadhaar, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), Permanent Account Number (PAN), and an affidavit will now be processed on a post-police verification basis, allowing faster issuance of passport without payment of any additional fees,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Unless there is an inconsistency or inadequacy in the documentation you submit for police verification, it will be completed in one visit – assuming the appropriate police authority is accessible.

Receiving the Passport

Following the police verification, the recommendation report is sent to the passport office. It is either sent for further analysis or processing based on the recommendations (printing & then dispatch). Depending on your mailing address and readiness to receive it, the speed post will add 3-5 days to your delivery time.

If you live in one of the four big metro cities, the passport offices have begun a campaign to offer passports in four weeks. This can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks in other metro areas. Other bits can take anything from a month to a year.

Duplicate Driving License: Having a driver is of the utmost importance if you want to drive in India legally. This license is more than just a legal document but is also a document for identity proof. If the original one gets stolen or lost, it is possible to apply for a duplicate driving license. And we are all aware of all the trouble that we have to face if this license is lost. After all, riding the two-wheeler or driving a four-wheeled vehicle is a punishable offence if done without a driving license that is valid. This is precisely why it is essential and highly recommended that one applies for a duplicate driving license as soon as is needed. In this article, we will look into getting this duplicate.

Different Kinds of Driving Licences in India

In India, the issued driving license is the official document that authorises the individual to operate different kinds of vehicles on highways and public roads. In India, this procedure comes under the jurisdiction of the State Government and is issued by the Regional Transport Offices or the Regional Transport Authorities. This license can also be a document giving proof of identity that may be needed, for example, to open a bank account. Drivers need to carry a valid license with them when they are driving.

Today, this license is available in the format of a smart card. One would need to give biometrics where their personal information would be stored in a chip that is in that smart card. But note that a certain amount of money is needed for the new Smart Card.

Section 130 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, states that an official authorised by the government, like a police officer, can ask the driver for the vehicle-related documents. And the driver has to produce these documents in the span of 15 days, either at the police station or at the concerned department.

Any individual with a desire to drive any sort of motor vehicle in India will need to get a learner’s license before all else. This is issued, as the name suggests, for learning. A month after the learner’s license, the individual has to go through the test conducted by the RTO authority, who will declare whether the person has passed the test or not, based on proper examination.

A duplicate driving license, on the other hand, is a copy of the existing driving license that is issued if an individual’s license is lost, destroyed, or stolen. RTO offices across the nation possess the authority to issue such a license if the original one is stolen, destroyed, or lost.

What to Keep in Mind Before Applying for a Duplicate

Here are a few things that you should take note of before you begin applying for a duplicate driver’s license.

• The RTO that issued the original license is the only one who can issue a duplicate license. This means that if the original was gotten in the Chennai RTO, but you are now in Bengaluru and lost your DL, you can get the duplicate only from the Chennai RTO and not the Bengaluru RTO.
• A driving test is not required to get a duplicated license.
• Generally, the license holds the validity of 20 years from the issued date or up till the age of 50, depending on which one comes first. The validity and the information on the duplicate DL will be the exact same as was for the original DL. For example, if your original license was set to expire in June 2023, ten the duplicate will also expire in June 2023.
• There is a provision to get a duplicate learner’s license if the original learner’s license has been lost.

What To Do If DL Is Lost

While the driving license may not be of any value monetarily, it is an essential document, not only for driving legally but also as ID proof. Here is what you should do if the license is lost.

• Visit the police station of the location in which the driving license was lost, file an FIR, i.e., First Information Report, and get a copy of that as well.
• Go to the Notary office to receive an affidavit on stamped paper, and this will be proof that you took an oath that the license is lost in front of the concerned officer, be it the first class judicial magistrate, notary public, or the executive magistrate. The notary service and stamped paper come with a small fee, and there would be, around the RTO, many shops where this can easily be done.

Applying for the Duplicate DL

The duplicate driving license can be applied either online or offline. A print of the filled form is required to visit the RTO even if the application is made online. There are the steps needed to be followed to obtain a duplicate online:

1. Visit parivahan.gov.in, which is the official site of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, called the Sarathi website and select the option that says ‘Online Services.’
2. Select your state from the drawdown that will be available for the states.
3. Fill in the details of the application.
4. Upload any documents that may be required.
5. Upload the signature and photo if this is needed in your state.
6. Pay the fee that is required.
7. Now, submit the LLD form as it should be.
8. Get a print of the filled form.
9. Submit the required documents along with the form at the RTO office that was the one that issued the original driving license.
10. After the formalities are finished, the smart card of the duplicate license will be sent to the address that was registered.
11. There is also a receipt that you can use if the duplicate doesn’t arrive in the timeframe that it needs to.

Offline Application Applying for Driving License

If you prefer getting the duplicate offline instead of online, then this can be done with the following steps.

1. Go to the RTO that was the one that issued the original license.
2. Get the LLD application form that is needed to get a duplicate license.
3. Attach all supporting documents with the filled form.
4. Pay the ₹200 nominal fees for the application to be processed
5.  You will receive a receipt after finishing the application procedure that can be used if the duplicate isn’t issued in time.

Note: The driving license authorises the individual to drive on the roads of India legally and lawfully, but this should be done keeping safety in mind. Driving is not a privilege but a responsibility that cannot be taken lightly. This means that rash driving or doing so under the influence of alcohol could potentially endanger your life and the lives of others around you. Wearing a helmet and driving safely is of the utmost importance as ignoring these guidelines, as mentioned before, can actually turn out to be fatal for you or others caught up in an accident.

Insurance policies can protect your vehicle from damages that it can undergo from unforeseen circumstances. Getting insurance is important as otherwise, you can end up paying hefty sums for accidents even if the fault was not your own.

Sovereign Gold Bonds: The Reserve Bank issues government security in grams of gold on behalf of the Indian Government. These are called Sovereign Gold Bonds or SGBs.They are the best choice as you would get taxable interest income while saving LTCG tax, but this is if you have a horizon of eight years. These bonds can be bought from your own bank and sold directly or through agents through designated post offices, the Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), or the BSE and National Stock Exchange of India. There are also options to apply for Sovereign Gold Bonds through Demat accounts such as Zerodha, ICICI Direct, etc.

SGBs have been launched by the Indian Government to give people an alternative to having physical gold. This article will cover what precisely these SGBs are, along with how they work and other such details.

Upcoming Sovereign Gold Bonds in 2020-21

The issuances of Sovereign Gold Bonds happen in accordance with the schedule of the RBI. Generally, a discount of ₹50 per gram is offered by the Reserve Bank of India to investors that are paying digitally on the original value. October 9, 2020, was when the Government of India announced the 2020-2021 Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in Series VII, VIII, IX, X. XI, and XII. The bond’s price, in terms of the rupee, is fixed based on the last week’s simple average. And this of the closing price of gold that is of 999 purity, and this is published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Ltd.

Investing in Sovereign Gold Bonds

When it comes to buying gold as an investment, say about 10 grams as an example, it is always better to buy a 10 gram Sovereign Gold Bond. The tenure of this is for the duration of eight years, after which you would get the current price of 10 grams of gold after you redeem it. What’s more, is that the prices of gold are always expected to be rising, so this means that it will be profitable.

The main difference between buying bonds and buying physical gold is that the former would get 2.5-2.75% of the investment value annually. When this rate is compounded over the duration of eight years, it gives you an extra gain of almost 25%. If the assumption is to be made that the price of gold will rise by about 5%, then the annual return of the bonds would be 7.75%.

Now, if we take an example here, it will help in better understanding. If one is to invest ₹26,000 in SGBs and over right years the price of gold becomes one and a half times more, then the return would be ₹42,00 that is the gold appreciation being ₹13,400 and also an additional ₹6,493 that would be the resultant gain of 2.75% annually on the original amount that was invested. This means that buying SGBs is far better than getting physical gold.

The interests will be paid annually, which means that SGBs worth ₹52,000 are bought; with the annual interest of 2.5%, it would come to be ₹130,0, meaning that you would get ₹650 two times a year.

Price of Gold

It has been seen that the price of gold has been going up from the year 2015, and this picked up further in the year 2020 because of COVID-19. This was elevated even more by the large-scale quantitative easing measures that were taken by different central banks. Investors have also demanded safe havens because of fears of a global recession taking place because of the impact that the virus has had on the economies, and this too is said to support gold. However, the strong dollar and moderate physical activities may limit any major gains. Nonetheless, experts recommend that gold be a part of investment portfolios.

Buying Sovereign Gold Bonds

Investors get a Holding Certificate issued to buy these bonds, and they are eligible to be converted to Demat form.

• Buying on ICICI Direct: The process of buying SGBs here is fairly simple. All you need to do is log in to ICICIdirect.com with the credentials and then select the ‘FD/Bonds’ options to go further.
• Buying through Zerodha: Kite credentials are needed to log in to Zerodha, and then you can enter the quantity desired. The prices of the bonds are dependent on the issuance prices. However, it is important to note that the trading account needs sufficient funds on the day of the issue closing as the purchase will not be funded by Zerodha.

SGB Overview

In this section, we will look at a general overview of these bonds. As mentioned, SGBBs are issued on behalf of the Government of India by the Reserve Bank as government securities in the form of grams of gold. The customers are issued the Certificate of Holding on the date that the SGBs are issued. This certificate can be collected from the SHCIL offices, issuing banks, post offices, agents, designated stock exchanges, or even from the RBI directly through the email if the address is given on the application form that needs to be filled.

• Price: The price of these bonds is fixed in rupees, and this is based on the simple average of the 999 purity gold’s closing price as is published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association for the previous week before the period of subscription. The issue price will be about ₹50 less than what the nominal value is.
• Interest: The bonds get an interest of about 2.5-2.75% annually, and this is credited to the bank account every six months. The final interest will be paid when maturity is reached with the principal amount.
• Tenor: The duration of the bond is of eight years, and there are exit options from the fifth year that can be exercised on the dates of interest payment.
• Minimum Investment: The bonds are issued in the denominations of one single gram of gold and then in the following multiples. The minimum investment from the Fourth Tranche is one gram. It was two grams earlier, and the maximum on the buying limit was 500 grams for one person each fiscal year. When it comes to joint holding, this limit is applied to the first applicant. But the annual investment limit per individual has been raised to 4kgs, while from tranche sold from October to December in 2017, the limit was raised to 20kgs for trusts and other such entities.
• Where to Purchase: The bonds are sold through the SCHIL, banks, post offices, and recognized stock exchanges like the NSE and the BSE.
• Options for Payment: Payments are made through cash with a maximum of h ₹20,00 or by electronic banking, cheque, or demand draft.
• Eligibility: The bonds can be bought only by residing Indian entities, including charitable institutions, universities, HUFs, and individuals.
• GST: When GST was introduced, investing in SGBs became a lot more attractive than buying physical gold. Before the 1st of July in 2017, gold bars and coins had the VAT of 1-1.2%, but they will now attract GST of 3%, and the same rate is applicable for jewelry as well. Until July 1st, there was a 1% excise duty on gold jewellery, but there was no such tax on coins and bars of gold.

What Do the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri Winners Get?: The country’s highest civilian awards, namely Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and Padma Shri, are announced every year on January 26, Republic Day. The Padma award seeks to recognise the achievements in all disciplines or activities when an element of public service is necessitated.

What are these Padma awards? How are the awardees selected? What do the Padma Vibhushan award winners, the winner of Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri’s winner, receive their contribution? This article will answer all the questions.

About Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri

The Padma Awards are awarded in all disciplines, such as social work, science, art, public affairs, engineering, education, literature, medicine, trade and industry, sports, civil service, and other fields like the propagation of Human Rights, Wildlife, etc. The highest three Padma awards are conferred on the endorsements made by the Padma Awards Committee, constituted by the Prime Minister annually.

On occasion, the Padma awards are presented and honoured, on January 26, on Republic Day celebration every year. The Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and the Padma Shri awards are offered at a Rashtrapati Bhavan around March or April. The term ‘Padma’ comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘Lotus’ connoting the Lotus flower, the national flower of India.

• Padma Vibhushan is honoured for its distinguished and exceptional service to the nation. In 2021, seven individuals were bestowed with the award.
• Padma Bhushan is honoured for the distinguished service of a high order to the nation, and in 2021, 10 people are honoured with this award.
• Padma Shri is awarded for distinguished service in any discipline or field. In 2021, 102 people were awarded the Padma Shri award.

The Padma Awards aims to recognise the work of any distinction and is offered for exceptional and distinguished services or achievements in all fields of disciplines or activities, such as Literature and Education, Art, Civil Service, Sports, Trade and Industry, Medicine, Science and Engineering, Social Work, Public Affairs, and other fields.

The Padma Awards have also been awarded to a few eminent individuals who were not Indian citizens but did contribute in multiple ways to the growth and development of the nation.

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, public service should be given recognition for the achievements, and the eminent person is to be selected. It should not be merely excellence in a particular field, but it should also consider the excellence plus.

All persons without distinction of position, race, sex, or occupation remain eligible for the Padma Awards. However, Government servants, including people working with the PSUs, except doctors and scientists, do not qualify for Padma Awards.

The Padma Awards usually are not conferred posthumously. However, contingent upon the highly deserving cases, the Government could consider giving an award posthumously only if the demise of the proposed person has been recently falling within one year preceding Republic Day.

The higher category of the Padma award can only be honoured to a person with at least five years’ lapse since the conferment of the previous Padma award. However, in highly deserving cases, a relaxation can be made by the Awards Committee to offer the Padma Award.

The Padma Award medal is ranked fourth for wearing decorations and medals on uniforms. The Padma medals are manufactured and produced at Alipore Mint, Kolkata. The other civilian and military awards like Padma Bhushan, Bharat Ratna, Padma Shri, and Param Veer Chakra Padma Vibhushan are also manufactured and produced.

The total number of Padma awards to be given in a year, excluding posthumous honours and non-citizen recipient awards, should not exceed 120 numbers. The Padma awards recipients are registered in India’s weekly publication, The Gazette of India, released by the Department of Publication, Ministry of Urban Development. This weekly magazine is used for official government notices. The bestowal of the Padma awards is not considered official until without being published in The Gazette of India publication.

What Are The Recipients Of Padma Awards Offered?

The Padma awards are just an honour and bear no cash allowance or any benefit. The awardees are not subjected to any facilities like a concession, etc., in air travel, or railway service is attached to these awards. The Padma award does not amount to any Title and cannot be deployed as a prefix or suffix to the awardee’s name on invitation cards, books, letterheads, posters, cards, etc. In case of any misemployment or dissipation of the award, the awardee will forfeit the honour.

• A commemorative brochure including a detailed brief regarding each Padma award winner comes released at the investiture ceremony.
• The decoration consists of a Sanad or certificate issued under the President’s hand and seal along with a medallion.
• The recipients are presented with a replica of the medal, which can be worn during any State functions, ceremonials, etc. if desired.

A Brief on Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhusan and Padma Shri Medallion

• The Padma Vibhushan badge is a circular badge with one to three and one-sixth-inch burnished bronze medals with geometrical patterns. The medallion holds a centrally-located Lotus flower with four significant petals sculpted in white-gold colour. The word ‘Padma’ signifies the Lotus and is marked in Devanagari script above the Lotus flower sculpt, and the word ‘Vibhushan’ is written below the sculpt. In obverse, a platinum Emblem of the nation is placed at the medallion centre. The National motto, Satyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs), remains carved in Devanagari Script.
• The Padma Bhushan badge’s design is a circular medal with one to three and one-sixth-inch burnished bronze medals with geometrical patterns. The medallion holds a centrally-located Lotus flower with three significant petals embossed in white gold. The word ‘Padma’ signifies the Lotus and is marked in Devanagari script above the Lotus flower sculpt, and the word ‘Bhushan’ is embossed in silver-gilt.
• The Padma Shri badge’s design and the pattern is a geometrical pattern on either side is burnished bronze. On its obverse, the words ‘Padma’ signifies the Lotus and is marked in Devanagari script above the Lotus flower sculpt and the word ‘Shri’ is written below the sculpt and is embossed in white-gold.

How are the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri Recipients Decided?

The recommendations for Padma Awards are received from all the State and Union territory governments, the previous recipients of the Padma Awards, and the Ministries of the Government of India. Other members include the Institutes of Excellence, the Ministers, the recipients of Bharat Ratna awards, the Chief Ministers and the Governors of State, and the Members of Parliament, including private individuals.

The recommendations for the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri recipients are submitted during the period between May 1 and September 15 of every year. The suggestion is presented to the Padma Awards Committee, composed of the Prime Minister of India. The Padma Awards Committee later suggests their recommendations to the residing Prime Minister. The presiding president of India makes the further approval of the recommended recipients.

When Were Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri Suspended?

Padma Awards was instituted in 1954. The two brief interruptions were in 1978 and 1979, due to which the Padma Awards were temporarily stopped.

• The Padma Awards were suspended in July 1977 when Moraji Desai was sworn in as India’s fourth prime minister. The suspension was revoked on January 25, 1980, upon Indira Gandhi’s swearing-in as the Prime Minister of India.
• The civilian awards were suspended the second time in mid-1992 when two Public-Interest Litigations were filed in India’s High courts. The first petition in the Kerala High Court was held on February 13, 1992, by civilian Balaji Raghavan. The Indore Bench conducted the second petition in Madhya Pradesh High Court on August 24, 1992, petitioned by civilian Satya Pal Anand. Balaji Raghavan and Satya Pal, both the petitioners, questioned the civilian awards being ‘Titles’ under Article 18 (1) of the Indian Constitution. On August 2, 1992, the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued a notice stating the temporary suspension of all the civilian awards in the country. The Special Division Bench restored the awards on December 15, 1995. The Bench delivered a judgment that the Padma Awards and the Bharat Ratna awards are not titles under Article 18 of the Indian Constitution.

Civilian Awards in India

The Indian Government essentially recognises the Indian Honour System. The Indian Honour System is subdivided into five categories- Leadership, Literature, Civilian, Particular, and Patriotic.

Leadership awards

• Gandhi Peace Prize award
• Indira Gandhi Prize award

Literature awards

• Sahitya Akademi Award
• Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
• Bhasha Samman
• Translation Awards
• Anand Coomaraswamy Fellowships
• Premchand Fellowship

Civilian awards

• Bharat Ratna
• Padma awards
• Inspired Teacher Awards

Patriotic Awards

• Wartime or Peacetime service and gallantry awards such as Nao Sena Medal, Sena Medal, and Vayusena Medal
• Wartime gallantry awards such as Maha Vir Chakra, Param Vir Chakra, and Vir Chakra are awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether conducted on land, at sea or in the air.
• Peacetime Distinguished Service such as Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal
• Peacetime gallantry awards such as Kirti Chakra, Ashok Chakra Award, and Shaurya Chakra are an Indian military decoration for courage and bravery, action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield.
• Wartime Distinguished Service such as Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal, and Yudh Seva Medal

National Sports Award

National sports awards such as the Dronacharya award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Dhyan Chand Award, and the Arjuna award

Police awards

Bravery awards

• National Bravery Award such as Sanjay Chopra Award, Bharat Award, and Geeta Chopra Award
• Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards such as Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, and Jeevan Raksha Padak

Winners of Padma Vibhushan Awards of 2021

• Shri Shinzo Abe, Former Japanese Prime Minister, received an award for his exceptional and distinguished service in Public Affairs.
• Shri S P Balasubramaniam (Posthumous), a music legend, received an award in art.
• Dr. Belle Monappa Hegde, professional educator, author, and cardiologist, received the Padma Vibhushan award to contribute to medicine.
• Shri Narinder Singh Kapany (Posthumous), an Indian-American physicist, who best contributed to fiber optics’ work, was honoured in Science and Engineering.
• Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is a Peace activist, and an Indian Islamic Scholar honoured with the Padma Vibhushan award in Spiritualism (Others).
• Shri B. B. Lal, an Indian Archaeologist, won the second most prestigious civilian award for his work in excavation at Ramjanmabhoomi in Archeology (Others).
• Shri Sudarshan Sahoo, an Indian sculptor, developed the Sudarshan Crafts Museum in Puri and was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan award in art.

Pensioner’s Life Certificate and Jeevan Pramaan Certificate: Every retired individual who stands eligible for Government Pensions has to produce a Life Certificate document in the respective Bank where their account is, in November. This article elaborates and gives a brief description of the Pensioner’s Life Certificate, Individuals eligible for the pension and an explanation on Jeevan Pramaan, an Aadhar based Digital Life Certificate for retired pensioners.

A Brief On Pensioner’s Life Certificate

A retired pensioner is required to provide a Non – Employment Certificate or Life Certificate, or Employment Certificate to the respective Bank every year in November in the prescribed format to ensure continued reception of the pension from the Government without interruption.

The pensioner can also present themselves at any eligible pension paying bank branch for being identified for issue of the Life Certificate. The primary purpose of a Life certificate is the annual identification in front of the Pension Disbursing Authority (PDA).

However, suppose a pensioner cannot obtain a Life Certificate on account of severe illness or emergency. In that case, the Bank official will visit the pensioner’s residence or the hospital, fulfilling the Life Certificate’s purpose.

Alternatively, a pensioner in possession of the Aadhar number can submit the Jeevan Pramaan, a digital Life Certificate introduced by the Government of India.

Who Is Eligible for Pension?

The Central Government discontinued the pension scheme for all employees recruited from or after January 1, 2004. The individuals have to contribute to the New pension System (NPS), a defined contribution pension system for individuals, where each has to deposit a certain amount every month till retirement.

Rule 2, 49 states that a Government servant appointed in a pensionable establishment on or before December 31, 2003, and has retired from the Government service with a qualifying service of a minimum of ten years or more is eligible for pension.

From January 1, 2006, the pension was calculated at a rate of 50 per cent of payments ( the last pay) or the average payments ( for the previous ten months), whichever is more beneficial to the retiring Government service community (According to Rule 49)

To avail of the pension, the retiring employee must commence the process at least six months before his or her retirement. In the process, the following norms have to be followed-

• The employee has to open an account with the respective bank branch where the pension can be credited, if required, with spouse ( a rule permitted now) and has to present the account number to the Department from which the individual is retiring.
• The individual has to fill up the account details in the pension papers.
• While opening an account, the retiree has to provide his or her mobile number, PAN Card Number, and Email ID (if available). The PAN Card number will enable the correct accounting of the Pensioner’s TDS.
• Upon receiving the Pension Payment Order (PPO), the pensioner must visit the respective branch from where the pension benefits.
• The individual has to submit an undertaking and the Life Certificate.
• Upon receiving the required documents from the prospective pensioner, the required documents will be sent to the concerned Centralised Pension Payment Centre (CPPC) for further processing at their end.
• After completing the data entry at the Centralised Pension Payment Centre (CPPC), the pension amount will be credited to the identified account within a period of three to four days.
• Pension is taxable and falls under the head Income From salary for the Income Tax payment.
• A pensioner holding an Aadhar number can alternatively submit their documents for the Jeevan Pramaan, a digital life certificate introduced by the Government of India.

What Is Jeevan Pramaan Certificate?

Jeevan Pramaan is an Aadhar number-based Digital Life Certificate for retired pensioners. The Jeevan Pramaan was introduced and launched on November 10, 2014, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jeevan Pramaan is an alternative to Life Certificate. It does away with the pensioner’s retirement of physically submitting the certificate every year in November to ensure the continuity of pension being credited into their account.

Jeevan Praman was initiated and developed by the Department of Electronics and IT, Government of India.

For obtaining the Jeevan Pramaan service, the individual will have to enroll and biometrically authenticate herself or himself by either downloading the application or generating the Digital Life Certificate from the website jeevanpramaan.gov.in. or by visiting the service centres.

Every pension paying bank branch will obtain the required information about the Digital life certificate of the respective pension customers by logging on to the Jeevan Pramaan website and by downloading the Core Banking Systems.

Pensioners will be able to forward to their bank branches via email or through SMS the relative link to the respective Digital Life Certificate.

How To Obtain A Jeevan Pramaan Life Certificate?

Jeevan Pramaan is a Digital Life Certificate, digital service and recognised under the IT Act. According to this pension scheme, the system frees the pensioner from physically submitting the documents and presenting themself before the Pension disbursing Authority proves that the individual is very much alive.

Obtaining a Digital Life Certificate is trouble-free, and the online certificate can be obtained through multiple Jeevan Pramaan Centres or online, which are distributed and operated through-

• Banks
• Government offices
• Citizen Services Centers (CSC’s)
• Client applications can be accessed through any electronic device like Personal Computer, Mobile, or Tablet.

However, the individual will need a biometric device to fulfill this process.

Registration Process for Jeevan Pramaan Through Citizen Service Centre

How to create a Jeevan Pramaan without having access to the Internet?

Any individual holding a pension account in any respective bank branch can go to the nearest Citizen Services Centers (CSCs) for the Life Certificate. Visit the nearest Citizen Service Centre (CSC) or any other designated bank branches or offices available on the website of Jeevan Pramaan to create a Jeevnam Pramaan account.

What are the Requirements for the Registration of Jeevan Pramaan?

Pensioners need to know the requirements for the registration of the Jeevan Pramaan. Every pensioner needs to get his or her Aadhaar number updated in the Bank Pension Database and the Bank account by providing the Pension Payment Order (PPO) number and bank account number before the registration. However, the following requirements requested for Jeevan Pramaan registration-

• Aadhaar Number
• Pension Payment Order (PPO) Number
• A bank account number along with branch detail
• Full Name, Permanent Address etc.

How to find the Nearest Citizen Services Centers (CSCs) or Designated Offices or Bank B?

• Individuals can access Jeevan Pramaan website through jeevanpramaan.gov.in. in the browser and find the nearest centre using the option “Locate A Centre” option.
• Individuals can also send SMS to the number 7738299899; the SMS body and must always with the keyword “JPL” and leave some space and write the required pin code. For example, SMS JPL 110003 to 7738299899. The reply message from the portal will include all Citizen Service Centres where the individual can visit for Jeevan Pramaan Life Certificate.

Registration for Jeevan Pramaan Life Certificate Through Downloading The Application

Is it a must that the pension needs to be in India for Jeevan Pramaan Life Certificate?

No, individuals can use an Android or a Windows personal computer-based application at the Jeevan Pramaan portal and may register from any location.

Is the Jeevan Pramaan Application download free?

Yes; however, the individual would need a Windows 7 and above (32 and 64 bit) or Android 4.0 version to download the application for free. Individuals can download the Jeevan Pramaan application from the Download link provided on the Jeevan Pramaan official website.

What are the various biometric devices supported?

Individuals will need a device for scanning the finger or the iris of the eye, i.e. biometric. A few devices like Mantra, SecuGen fingerprint scanner, Morpho, and Iris scanner may be used for registration.

How does the Jeevan Pramaan registration process by downloading applications work?

An individual’s information like the Pension Aadhaar number, the Pensioner Full Name, Pension Payment Order (PPO) Number, Bank Account detail, Permanent Address, Valid Mobile number, etc., are fed into the system through a web-based or client interface feeding.

A pensioner’s personal information is authenticated through the use of the linked Aadhaar number. The pensioner has to place their finger onto the fingerprint scanner or place the eye on the Iris scanner to complete the authentication process.

Upon successful authentication, the transaction number will be displayed on the electronic screen. The same has to be sent to the pensioner’s mobile as an SMS from the web portal. The portal will then generate an Electronic Jeevan Pramaan for the successfully authenticated pensioner, and this information is stored in the central portal database.

However, the Aadhaar number is mandatory. The same is required to be updated in the petitioner’s bank account and Pension Account before the generation of Aadhaar based Digital Life Certificate-Jeevan Pramaan.

Post-registration for Jeevan Pramaan, What Does An Individual Have To Do?

Pensioners have to inform the respective bank about the generation of the Jeevan Pramaan through online registration from Jeevan Pramaan official web portal. The individual banks validate the details updated in the bank records like the Aadhaar Number of the Pensioner, Bank Account number, Pension Payment Order (PPO) Number, and DOB. If the given details match with the bank records, the same is updated in the bank records.