The Indian Army launched the first phase of Project NAMAN, in the presence of Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi.

The project is designed to provide dedicated support and services to Defence Pensioners, Veterans and their families.

It is centred around the implementation of the SPARSH (System for Pension Administration Raksha), a digital pension system, which streamlines pension-related processes for Defence Pensioners, addressing the critical need for accessible facilitation points for Veterans and Next of Kin (NOK) across the country.

Speaking at the launch, General Dwivedi emphasised the importance of Project NAMAN in ensuring that the veterans and their families receive the care and support they deserve.

He highlighted the project’s role in extending these essential services to the entire resident population of military stations and surrounding localities.

The project involves the establishment of reception and facilitation centres, enabled through a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Army’s Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (Adjutant General’s Branch), Common Service Centre (CSC) e-Governance India Limited, and HDFC Bank Limited signed last year in September 2023.

These Common Service Centres (CSCs) are dedicated to Army Veterans, Pensioners, War Widows, and NOKs, offering SPARSH-enabled pension services, Government to Citizen (G2C) services, and business-to-consumer (B2C) services, all at a single, convenient location.

In the first phase of Project NAMAN, 14 CSCs have been established at key locations across India, including New Delhi, Jalandhar, Leh, Dehradun, Lucknow, Jodhpur, Bengdubi, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Secunderabad, Saugor, Guntur, Ahmedabad and Bangalore.

The project is set to expand significantly, with plans to establish approximately 200 centres nationwide over the next 2-3 years.

The banking partner, HDFC Bank, has provided the necessary IT infrastructure for operationalising the CSCs, while local military stations have contributed essential physical infrastructure and facilities.

Project NAMAN was conceived after careful deliberation and feedback from the Defence community, reflecting the Indian Army’s commitment to fostering camaraderie among serving and retired Armed Forces personnel.

This initiative not only delivers essential care and support to esteemed veterans but also extends services to the entire resident population of military stations and surrounding localities.

”Project NAMAN stands as a testament to the Indian Army’s dedication to the welfare of its veterans and their families,” the Ministry of Defence said.