Defence Accounts Department achieves 100% resolution of legacy pension discrepancy cases for Air Force and Navy on SPARSH
Distilled Policy Brief
- The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) has achieved 100% resolution of legacy pension discrepancy cases for the Indian Air Force (1,12,638 cases) and Indian Navy (32,544 cases) on the SPARSH (System for Pension Administration – Raksha) portal.
- Significant progress has been made for the Indian Army, with 98.8% of 3,94,779 discrepancy cases resolved, demonstrating the efficacy of the mission-mode approach in digitizing defence pension administration.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
SPARSH (System for Pension Administration – Raksha) is an integrated web-based system for processing pension claims and disbursement, managed by the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA).
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
The transition to SPARSH represents a paradigm shift in e-governance, ensuring transparency, direct benefit transfer, and grievance redressal for defence pensioners, thereby reducing administrative bottlenecks.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to the bilateral research and industrial cooperation engagements between India and Germany, consider the following statements: 1. Roundtables held with German research organizations, such as the Fraunhofer Institutes, prioritized key fields including microelectronics, power electronics, and smart manufacturing. 2. Expanding industry-academia innovation networks and collaboration in battery technologies form key components of the enhanced strategic cooperation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- [A] 1 only
- [B] 2 only
- [C] Both 1 and 2
- [D] Neither 1 nor 2
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Both statements are correct. High-level roundtables with German research institutes, including Fraunhofer Institutes, focused on microelectronics, power electronics, smart manufacturing, battery technologies, and logistics. Furthermore, the engagement emphasized strengthening industry-academia innovation networks, science and technology cooperation, and advanced manufacturing capabilities between India and Germany.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.