EPFO Foundation Day: WhatsApp Access and Automatic Settlement Unveiled
New Delhi, October 31: The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) observed its 74th Foundation Day on Sunday at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, where two new services were unveiled by Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.
What's new for members
First, members can now receive their PF balance, latest transaction details and passbook information through EPFO's verified WhatsApp service.
Second, dormant EPF accounts that are Aadhaar-verified and hold up to Rs 1,000 will be settled automatically. The step is likely to help roughly 1 lakh account holders, with about Rs 5 crore expected to reach their accounts.
Publications and awards
An official statement said seven significant publications were released during the programme. They cover social security, administrative reform, judicial decisions, Hindi literature and sensitive administration. EPFO also conferred the Bhavishya Nidhi Awards 2026 on outstanding regional offices, officers and employees.
A legacy of trust
Dr. Mandaviya said EPFO has transformed from an ordinary provident fund institution over 74 years into one of India's most important social security organisations. He said the faith of crores of workers and pensioners is the organisation's greatest strength.
He pointed out that EPFO currently works with more than 8 crore subscribing members and 85 lakh pensioners and manages a retirement fund of approximately Rs 32 lakh crore. He described this as the result of the commitment and years of effort put in by the organisation's staff.
He stressed that social security must be run with human empathy, not only with processes. Every worker's problem, he said, needs to be solved with sympathy and dignity, because workers are the cornerstone of nation-building.
Looking to the future
As EPFO heads toward its 75th Foundation Day next year, Dr. Mandaviya said it must give greater attention to worker-focused innovation. He called on officials to draw motivation from the 'Panch Pran' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to contribute to the mission of a Viksit Bharat. Technological change, he said, must ultimately serve the goal of providing better services to workers and pensioners.
Labour and Employment Secretary Dr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar said EPFO has given India's social security system a sturdy foundation over seven decades. He argued that the benefits of social security and labour reforms must not remain confined to the organised sector but should reach unorganised workers as well. In the digital age, he said, improvement is continuous and institutions must keep reinventing themselves.
The event also highlighted progress under the technology initiative CTIZ 2.01. EPFO said the average time taken to settle claims had come down to 2.57 days in October 2026, so members are getting provident fund-related services faster and more easily than before.
The Central Provident Fund Commissioner said EPFO's success must be measured by every claim, pension and benefit that reaches beneficiaries on time, not just by data. The organisation's ultimate aim, he said, is to provide every member and pensioner with a feeling of security, dignity and confidence.