To reduce forgery, the Government of India has taken the initiative to link various schemes to personal documents. Adding Aadhaar card details to a pension account is one of them.

The NPS Aadhaar link enables individuals to store the data in one central repository and claim the pension whenever required without any hassle.

But, how can one initiate the Aadhaar card linking to a pension account online? 

Read on to learn about the NPS Aadhaar link process.

Introduced in 2004, National Pension Scheme or NPS is a government-backed pension scheme that enables individuals to contribute regularly in his/her pension account throughout his/her working life. 

The scheme further allows withdrawing a substantial amount from the corpus, utilizing the remaining amount in an annuity to generate income after retirement.

Steps to link the Aadhaar card with the NPS account [For new users]

The administrative body of NPS has adopted several measures to ease the process. For instance, individuals can open an NPS account online through Aadhaar verification and e-signature.

Follow the simple steps to link the Aadhaar number while opening a new NPS account.

• Step-1 - Visit the official website of NSDL e-NPS.
• Step-2 - Click on the ‘Registration’ option.
• Step-3 - Choose appropriate options and enter your Aadhaar card number.
• Step-4 - Tap on the ‘Generate OTP’ button.
• Step-5 - Tick on the disclaimer and select the ‘Proceed’ option.
• Step-6 - An OTP will be generated and sent to the mobile number linked to the Aadhaar. Enter the OTP and select the ‘Continue’ option.
• Step-7 - Fill in the NPS registration form.
• Step-8 - Complete the payment.
• Step-9 -An acknowledgement number will be generated.
• Step-10 - Submit the registration details, and the Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) will be generated.
• Step-11 - E-sign on the registration form and complete the NPS Aadhaar link process.

Steps to link Aadhaar card with NPS account [For existing users]

The Aadhaar card link through the NPS account requires existing users to follow the steps mentioned below.

• Step-1 - Visit the official website of NPS.
• Step-2 - Login to your NPS account.
• Step-3 - Click on ‘Update details’ in the menu.
• Step-4 - Select ‘Update Aadhaar/Address’ details under the ‘Update Details’ section.
• Step-5 - The landing page would demand you to enter your Aadhaar number and re-enter it.
• Step-6 - Click on the ‘Generate OTP’ button.
• Step-7 - Select the ‘Proceed’ button to give consent to NSDL e-GOV to begin the linking process.
• Step-8 - An OTP will be sent to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar card.
• Step-9 - Enter the OTP in the specified box.
• Step-10 - Click on the ‘Continue’ button.
• Step-11 - Once the authentication is completed, the Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) you have used to log in to the NPS account and the Aadhaar number you have given will be linked. You will be shown a message stating the successful execution of the NPS Aadhaar link process.

Here is a list of things you need to consider before you proceed to link Aadhaar with NPS. 

• The name provided in the Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) should match with the name declared in the Aadhaar card.
• Subscribers must know that the NPS-Aadhaar linking procedure can be completed through the Aadhaar OTP authentication only.
• As a subscriber/user under the NPS, you must follow the NPS-Aadhaar linking procedure even if you have submitted your Aadhaar during the subscription.
• To conduct the NPS-Aadhaar linking process, you need to have a mobile number registered with an Aadhaar card. If you do not have your mobile number linked with the Aadhaar card, you can continue the process. 
• The Aadhaar seeding for government employees will be completed only when the respective nodal officer approves the request.

Subscribers of NPS can avail themselves of several benefits by linking the Aadhaar with the NPS account such as,

• The Aadhaar authentication has eased the process of opening an NPS account online.
• The Government has issued guidelines to NPS subscribers regarding the exemptions to taxpayers and completing the NPS-Aadhaar card linking process to track the financial transactions easily.
• Aadhaar seeding enables the completion of the KYC efficiently.
• Online KYC verification (e-KYC) through the Aadhaar card number helps subscribers avoid the hassle of engaging in lengthy paperwork, as the Aadhaar OTP verification ensures a quicker alternative.

The regulatory body of NPS, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), enables Aadhaar based offline KYC process under NPS. Through this process, individuals can immediately activate their NPS account with instantaneous KYC verification and deposit the NPS contribution.

To complete the process, users have to download the password-protected Aadhaar XML file in offline mode from the UIDAI portal via e-NPS and share the document for KYC. This particular facility can be used for opening NPS accounts via Points of Presence (POP). 

• Upload the Aadhaar paperless KYC zip file. If the .xml zip file is not generated, you can migrate to the UIDAI website to download the same and create a four-digit passcode. 
• Choose the appropriate options on the NPS portal for registration and enter details like a registered mobile number.
• Upload the zip file along with the four-digit passcode to complete the paperless e-KYC process.
• Once you submit the OTP, your demographic details will be collected from the UIDAI database.
• You have to provide other required details as well.
• After this, upload the scanned copy of the PAN card and the cancelled cheque in the required format.
• Make the payment, and the Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) will be generated.
• Do the e-sign or ‘Print or Courier’ the registration form to CRA.

Initially, the scheme was dedicated to government employees, but from 2009 onwards, it was opened for all sections. Individuals have to open an NPS account where he/she has to deposit a minimum Rs.6000 per month to avail all the benefits provided under the scheme. 

With such extensive detail on the NPS-Aadhaar link, we hope you know how to link your Aadhaar with a pension account online.  Therefore, complete the NPS-Aadhaar linking process and avail of the benefits offered under the National Pension Scheme.