The Project Naman aims to establish facilitation and grievance redressal centers for veterans and the families of personnel who lost their lives, with the first center in Delhi Cantonment. The ‘Naman’ center will host a Common Service Centre, offering government-to-customer services and assisting in updating pensioners’ accounts on the SPARSH portal. SPARSH, implemented by the Ministry of Defence, provides transparent pension account management for Armed Forces personnel and Defence Civilians. Administered by the Defence Accounts Department, it covers pension initiation, sanction, disbursement, revision, and grievance management.
Facts/Terms for UPSC Prelims
- SPARSH Portal: SPARSH is a portal by the Ministry of Defence, offering transparent pension account management for Armed Forces personnel and Defence Civilians. It maintains a complete history of pensioner events and entitlements, ensuring transparency in pension accounts.
- Cantonment: A cantonment is a designated area where military or paramilitary troops and equipment are stationed, trained, and housed. These areas serve as organized and secure locations for military operations, both in peacetime and wartime.
- Common Service Centre: The Common Service Centre is a facility within the ‘Naman’ center that provides government-to-customer services, making it easier for veterans and their relatives to access various government services.
- Defence Accounts Department: The Defence Accounts Department is responsible for managing financial aspects related to the Armed Forces, including pensions. It administers the SPARSH portal and ensures the smooth functioning of pension-related processes.
- Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions): This administrative role oversees various activities in the pension cycle, such as initiation, sanction, disbursement, revision, and grievance management, ensuring the pensioners’ needs are met efficiently within the Defence Accounts Department.
