F.No. 56-O1/2O21-LI Ministry of Communications Department of Posts
(Directorate of Postal Life Insurance). Chanakyapuri P.O. Complex, New Delhi-110021
Office Memorandum Dated: 11th Oct 2021
Sub: Issuance of Digital copy of Postal Life Insurance (PLI)/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policies (RPLI) Through DigiLocker.
DigiLocker is an initiative under the Digital India Program by the Government of India where citizens can get authentic documents/certificates in digital format from original issuers of these certificates. Department of Posts intends to minimize the use of physical documents that will enhance effectiveness of service delivery, making hassle free and friendly services for the citizens.
2. The Department of Posts on the occasion of Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is launching the digital version of the Postal Life Insurance policy bonds and is inaugurating the ‘ePLI bond’ in the digital format which will now be available to eligible policyholders through DigiLocker. By securely logging in to the DigLocker using Aadhaar authentication, the user can download the digital copy of the Policy bond on their mobile phone.
3. This electronic copy of PLI policy bonds having a digital signature in the DigiLocker platform is valid proof as per the IT Act 2000. It shall be treated at par with the original policy bond issued by the Department of Posts for processing all types of Financial & Non-financial requests related to PLI/RPLI.
4 Issuance of policy bond through DigiLocker will help the customers and Department in following ways: -
4.i Benefits for the PLI/RPLI customers: -
a. Insurance Bond is an important document for an insurant and timely access to insurance bonds is of critical importance. Thus, providing digital PLI/RPLI bonds through DigiLocker would be of significant convenience to customers which will help them to store the bond in a safer and more secured manner without any additional cost.
b. The Policy Bond in digital format is available after the purchase of Postal Life Insurance policy from the Post Office or through the India Post website.
c. The digitally signed copy of the policy bond is available for download immediately after the acceptance/approval of a proposal from the DigiLocker mobile application.
d. If the user is holding multiple Postal & Rural Postal Life Insurance Policies like Endowment Assurance, Anticipated Endowment Assurance, Whole Life Assurance, Convertible Whole Life Assurance, Child Policy, Yugal Suraksha (in PLI) & Gram Priya (in RPLI), all of them can be downloaded by using the same authentication mechanism.
e. Many times, the physical copy of the policy bonds is old and the upkeep of it is difficult. Now with a digital copy available in Digilocker, the policyholder will get the benefit of showing digital copy during the maturity claim settlement through the issued section of the DigiLocker app. Similarly, now the policyholder can show the digital policy bond for any changes that are required in the policy document like address change, nomination etc.
f. All the subsequent changes on the policy bonds will be synced to the DigiLocker by the Department of Posts servers. Therefore, the policyholder gets the benefit of always keeping the updated version of the policy bond in digital format in the mobile app.
Benefits to the Department
a. The Postal Officer can check the veracity of the digital PLI Policy document by using a Digi locker QR code reader. Only this app can read the policy details from the QR code which is encrypted.
b. During the policy servicing, the Post office staff can validate the digital copy simply by verifying the digital signature and scanning the encrypted QR code embedded in the Policy bond from within the issued section of the DigiLocker app.
c. This will drastically reduce the policyholders' complaints regarding missing policy bonds, issue of duplicate policy bonds etc.
d. The verifiability through the aadhaar authentication system, having embedded digital signature and encrypted QR code will reduce fraudulent cases to a substantial extent.
e. As the name in digilocker (which in turn is obtained from Aadhaar) is matched with that of PLI Policy, the Postal Department get the benefit of clean and identifiable KYC.
Procedure to be followed for downloading/verifying policy bonds in DigiLocker:- -
The Policyholder after successful authentication using Aadhaar from their mobile app, will enter the policy number. The DigiLocker will match the Policyholder name and date of birth from the Aadhar database with that available in the Postal Life Insurance database. Upon a successful match, the Policy bond will get downloaded and will be available in the issued documents section of Digilocker mobile app.
6. This information may be widely disseminated among all administrative offices, operational offices, and sales forces for wide publicity by way of properly circulating the instructions, educating the officials during training/workshop held at different levels, sensitizing the customers through marketing agents & during the melas and inclusion of this information in PLI/RPLI brochures & various other advertisements printed/displayed by Circles from time to time.
A list of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) is attached for reference.
This issues with the approval of competent authority.
