Pension Sakhis to Take Pension Security to Rural Households, Strengthening Financial Future of Rural India

Pooja Srivastava
Anytime News Network

New Delhi. In a significant move to strengthen pension security and long-term financial resilience among rural families, the Department of Rural Development and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build and support a community-based network of ‘Pension Sakhis’ across rural India.

The partnership will leverage the extensive community institutions created under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) to bring pension awareness, financial literacy, enrolment support and post-enrolment assistance closer to rural households.

The MoU was signed by Amit Shukla, Joint Secretary, Department of Rural Development, and Sumeet Kaur Kapoor, Executive Director, PFRDA, in the presence of Rohit Kansal, Secretary, Department of Rural Development.

Under the initiative, Pension Sakhis will serve as trusted community-level facilitators. They will particularly reach Self-Help Group (SHG) members, rural women, Lakhpati Didis and other rural participants, helping families understand pension and retirement planning, supporting enrolment and guiding them through pension-related services.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Rohit Kansal emphasised that social security should form an important part of the broader mission of sustainable prosperity. He said social security is not merely protection against vulnerability but also provides families with the confidence and resilience required to achieve sustained economic progress.

He further stressed that pension awareness and financial literacy must be based on integrity, transparency and trust, enabling rural citizens to make informed decisions about their long-term financial security.

Mamta Shankar highlighted the growing importance of retirement planning in view of increasing life expectancy and changing demographic patterns. The partnership is expected to improve awareness and adoption of pension products, including the National Pension System (NPS), among rural households that remain outside formal retirement and social security mechanisms.

Digital dashboards and mobile- and web-based solutions, including the department’s LokOS system, will strengthen monitoring of outreach and enrolment. These tools will help identify gaps in pension coverage and track progress more effectively.

For families dependent on agriculture, informal employment and small enterprises, where incomes can often be irregular, timely pension planning can become a powerful pillar of financial resilience.

The initiative marks a broader shift in the rural financial inclusion agenda—from access to financial services towards informed participation, long-term savings, retirement security and sustainable economic empowerment.