The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched a new feature called 'Passbook Lite' for its over seven crore subscribers, allowing them to access essential services and their Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) account details using a single login on the members’ portal. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced this development on Thursday, highlighting key reforms aimed at providing efficient, transparent, and user-friendly services to EPFO members.
Passbook Lite
Previously, members had to log in to a separate passbook portal to check their provident fund contributions and transactions related to advances or withdrawals. With the introduction of 'Passbook Lite', members can now easily check their passbook, along with a summarized view of contributions, withdrawals, and balances, all through the member portal itself, without needing to visit the passbook portal.
This new initiative is expected to enhance the user experience by consolidating key services, including passbook access, into one convenient login. However, for a comprehensive view of passbook details, including graphical displays, members can still access the existing Passbook Portal.
Direct Link
(https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/).
The focus of this reform is on improving access for members while increasing operational efficiency. By reducing the load on the existing Passbook Portal and simplifying the system architecture through the integration of existing APIs, the EPFO aims to streamline the process.
Additionally, the minister introduced online access to Annexure K (Transfer Certificate) for greater transparency in PF transfers. When employees change jobs, their PF accounts are transferred to the new employer’s PF office through an online Form 13. A Transfer Certificate, known as Annexure K, is generated by the previous PF office and sent to the new PF office.
Previously, this document was only available upon members' request, but now they can directly download Annexure K in PDF format from the Member Portal. This change will allow members to track the status of their transfer applications online, ensuring full transparency and enabling verification of PF transfers. They will also be able to confirm that their PF balance and service period are accurately updated in the new account, and maintain a permanent digital record for future reference, which is particularly important for calculating benefits under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS).
With PTI inputs
