Pension Sakhis to Take Retirement Security to the Doorstep of Rural India

The Department of Rural Development and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) have signed an MoU to establish a community-based outreach mechanism of 'Pension Sakhis' across rural India. The initiative leverages the women-led Self Help Group (SHG) network under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), including Banking Correspondent Sakhis, to expand pension awareness, financial literacy, enrolment, and post-enrolment support for retirement planning. It seeks to address limited formal financial access among rural households, utilizing digital platforms like the LoKoS system for monitoring and service delivery.