In a bid to expand pension coverage and strengthen social security among rural households through a dedicated cadre of ‘Pension Sakhis’, the Department of Rural Development (DoRD) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), an official statement said on Tuesday. 

According to the Ministry of Rural Development, this will leverage the community institutional network of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission, including Banking Correspondent (BC) Sakhis and other trained community resource persons, to raise awareness, facilitate enrolment, and provide pension-related support to Self Help Group (SHG) members, rural women, Lakhpati Didis, and other underserved groups.