Subject: Proposal for Creation of a National Nomination Repository

[Sanjeev Goyal]

PRSEC/E/2026/0021846

 

Subject: Proposal for Creation of a National Nomination Repository

Concerned Department : NITI Aayog

In today’s increasingly complex and uncertain environment, the importance of maintaining proper nomination details across financial and legal instruments has grown significantly. Adequate nomination helps families avoid prolonged, costly, and often distressing legal proceedings in the event of an untimely demise.

An average middle-class individual is required to maintain nomination details across multiple instruments and services, such as:

·         Life Insurance Policies (approx. 2)

·         Health Insurance Policy

·         Term Insurance Policy

·         Personal Accident Policy

·         Vehicle Ownership

·         Immovable Property

·         Demat Account

·         Society/Club Membership

·         Savings Bank Accounts (approx. 2)

·         Fixed Deposits (Bank/Post Office)

·         Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)

·         Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

·         Gratuity Records

·         Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Account

·         National Pension System (NPS)

·         Public Provident Fund (PPF), etc.

In total, this amounts to nearly nineteen different touchpoints. Even a single omission or outdated nomination can expose the family to avoidable hardship and legal complications. Beyond the personal distress caused, such situations also contribute to the already overburdened judicial system.

In line with the Government’s successful digital initiatives—such as DigiLocker for secure document storage, the National Insurance Repository for insurance policies, and UMANG for unified access to government services—it is proposed that a National Nomination Repository be developed.

This centralized platform would enable individuals to securely and conveniently maintain all their nomination details at one place, thereby eliminating the risk of oversight. The repository should be:

·         Secure and legally robust, ensuring that stored records are admissible in legal and court proceedings

·         Dynamic and user-friendly, allowing users to add, update, or modify nomination details as required

·         Flexible, enabling multiple nominees for different instruments

·         Comprehensive, covering all major financial and legal instruments

Given the uncertainties of life, the concept of multiple and successive nominees for a single instrument assumes critical importance. In nuclear families, the spouse is often the sole nominee; however, situations such as accidents or unforeseen events—like those witnessed during the second wave of COVID-19 or tragic incidents such as the demise of CDS General Bipin Rawat—highlight the risks associated with single nominations. In cases where both primary nominees are lost, families face compounded legal and emotional challenges.

A system enabling primary, secondary, and successive nominations would significantly mitigate such risks and provide much-needed relief to affected families. Considering the high incidence of accidental deaths in India each year, this feature would be particularly valuable.

Additionally, the platform may incorporate a periodic reminder mechanism (e.g., every three years) prompting users to review and update their nomination details. This would ensure that records remain current and relevant, thereby reducing disputes, litigation, and hardship for the legal heirs.

In view of the above, it is requested that an enabling framework and digital platform for a National Nomination Repository may kindly be considered and developed.

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