Pariksha SaathiEPFO marks its 74th Foundation Day; Dr Mansukh Mandaviya launches EPFO services on WhatsApp, and automatic settlement of eligible inoperative EPF accounts is launched
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) celebrated its 74th Foundation Day at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, on 1 November 2026. Presiding over the celebration, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports and Chairman of the Central Board of Trustees (EPF), said that over its 74-year journey EPFO has emerged as a trusted institution for the country's workforce, a trust reflected in the ₹32 lakh crore corpus accumulated through contributions from more than 8 crore members. Saying 'Seva is our sanskaar', he urged officials to focus on worker-centric innovations in the run-up to EPFO's 75th year. Central Provident Fund Commissioner Ramesh Krishnamurthi traced EPFO's journey from the founding commitment of 1952 to a national social security institution serving approximately 8 crore contributory members and 85 lakh pensioners. Showcasing the impact of the technological transformation through CITES 2.01, EPFO highlighted that the average claim settlement time declined to 2.57 days in October 2026. Dr Mandaviya launched EPFO services through WhatsApp, through which subscribers can access their PF balance, latest five transactions and passbook information on EPFO's verified WhatsApp service and get guidance on PMVBRY-related requirements; and automatic settlement of eligible inoperative EPF accounts was launched: subscribers with Aadhaar-verified inoperative EPF accounts with balances up to ₹1,000 will not have to file individual claims, and approximately one lakh accounts involving ₹5 crore are expected to benefit. Seven publications were released, including EPFO State Profile 2026 and 'Shasan Vidhi Mein Karuna' (Compassion in Governance), which presents 83 real-life case studies from 62 Regional Offices, and the Bhavishya Nidhi Awards 2026 were presented.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
EPFO celebrated its 73rd Foundation Day at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 1 November 2025, with Dr Mansukh Mandaviya as Chief Guest. On the occasion he launched the Employee Enrollment Scheme 2025, operational from 1 November 2025, which encourages employers to voluntarily declare and enrol eligible employees: employers will not be required to remit the employee's share of contribution if it was not deducted earlier, and only nominal penal damages of ₹100 will apply. He also launched EPFO's new homepage with the user-friendly domain name www.epfo.gov.in. The Labour Secretary highlighted EPFO's central role in implementing the Prime Minister's Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY), announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 August 2025, which aims to incentivise 3.5 crore new jobs, and the Central Provident Fund Commissioner said the upcoming EPFO 3.0 platform will further improve efficiency and accessibility.
Check yourself: which scheme did Dr Mandaviya launch on EPFO's 73rd Foundation Day, from what date was it operational, and what penal damages apply under it?
The Employee Enrollment Scheme 2025; from 1 November 2025; only nominal penal damages of ₹100.
Revision task: from this release, note the Foundation Day number, the corpus and membership figures, the founding year, the average claim settlement time, the two services launched, and the balance limit and expected beneficiaries of automatic settlement; from the note, the 73rd Foundation Day's venue, the scheme launched then and its terms, and the PMVBRY's job target.
Test yourself
Under the automatic settlement of eligible inoperative EPF accounts launched on EPFO's 74th Foundation Day, subscribers with Aadhaar-verified inoperative EPF accounts with balances up to what amount will not have to file individual claims?
Show the answer
Answer: ₹1,000
Subscribers having Aadhaar-verified inoperative EPF accounts with balances up to ₹1,000 will not be required to file individual claims; EPFO will initiate settlement automatically after prescribed identity and bank-account verification. Approximately one lakh accounts involving ₹5 crore are expected to benefit.
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