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The Union Labour and Employment Ministry has announced a set of reforms to modernise the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), promising smoother, faster and more transparent services for over 29 crore members. The initiatives were detailed by Union Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday, as per an official release by the Press Information Bureau (PIB). According to sources, the government is also considering further easing withdrawal rules under the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF). Proposals include allowing members to withdraw money up to six times a year and permitting partial withdrawals without specific reasons. However, officials emphasised that withdrawals beyond 50 per cent of the balance would not be relaxed.

Under the new system, EPFO members will no longer have to juggle multiple portals. A newly introduced feature, Passbook Lite will allow users to view a simplified summary of their contributions, withdrawals and balance directly from the member portal. The detailed passbook with graphical display will remain available on the old portal but the Lite version is expected to ease login issues, reduce technical load and improve user satisfaction.

For employees switching jobs, transfers of provident fund accounts have often been riddled with delays and poor transparency. Until now, the transfer certificate, known as Annexure K, was shared only between field offices and provided to members only on request. With the reform, Annexure K can now be downloaded directly by employees in PDF format from the member portal. This will let members verify if balances and service records have been properly updated, maintain a digital record for pension calculations and track transfers in real time.

Claim processing has long been a sore point for members with approvals earlier restricted to senior officers such as Regional Provident Fund Commissioners. The ministry has shifted more powers to Assistant Provident Fund Commissioners and junior officers, cutting down layers of approval. This is expected to speed up settlements for advances, withdrawals, refunds and transfers, while also making field offices more accountable. Officials said the move will help in urgent cases like medical needs or marriage-related withdrawals. Explaining the broader reforms, Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya said the aim is not just a digital upgrade but to make EPFO easier to use and more transparent. A single login, fewer bureaucratic hurdles and greater control over savings should reduce complaints and build confidence among members. 

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