The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has successfully completed the migration of its entire member database to the Centralised IT Enabled Services (CITES) project this month, marking a significant milestone in the retirement fund body's digital transformation. According to Mint, Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed that this development marks a significant overhaul for EPFO, as it aims to provide faster, transparent and citizen centric services. The CITES project replaces the previous decentralised structure wherein each field office housed separate databases and brings all EPF member data onto a single national database. This modernisation allows EPFO to operate on a unified platform, enabling processing of requests from any authorised location in India without requiring members to visit specific regional offices for PF and pension claims or other services.
Following the successful database migration, EPFO unveiled a revamped unified member portal named EPFO 2.01 on Wednesday, marking the restoration of online services for members and employees. As per NDTV Profit, the new portal went live following the migration of all member records to a centralised database, restoring digital access that had been disrupted during the migration process. The database consolidation and software upgrade shifts members' records from a decentralised structure to a centralised database, enabling seamless online operations. The portal features automated pre-validation of claims and automatic PF transfers for Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Numbers (UAN) when you change jobs, significantly improving the claim processing experience for subscribers.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has begun processing annual interest for FY 2025-26, with balances updated by July 15, 2026, marking one of the earliest interest credit cycles in recent years. According to Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, this faster timeline has been made possible by the rollout of EPFO's Centralised IT-Enabled Services (CITES 2.01), which has shifted the organisation from a fragmented database structure to a unified digital platform. The government had approved an annual interest rate of 8.25% on employees' provident fund deposits last month, with EPFO processing interest for about 340 million member accounts, involving payouts of more than ₹1.44 trillion. In a circular dated July 9, 2026, EPFO confirmed that the annual accounts processing for the year 2025-26 has commenced in the newly migrated CITES 2.01 for crediting interest @8.25% to all the member accounts. The interest will be automatically computed before undergoing verification by field offices and subsequently reflected in members' passbooks, with members able to view the interest credit in their passbook by July 15th, representing a significant improvement from previous years when subscribers often had to wait until October or November for annual interest to be credited.
EPFO has introduced several new member-friendly features alongside the interest credit. The organisation has changed the way interest is calculated on final PF settlements, now earning interest until the date the final payment is authorised rather than only up to the previous month's end, resulting in higher payouts for members. The partial withdrawal provisions have been simplified by reducing 13 withdrawal rules into three broad categories—essential needs, housing needs and special circumstances, with eligible members able to withdraw up to 75% of their PF balance under applicable rules. Additionally, Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Number (UAN) holders will benefit from automatic PF account transfers when they change jobs, eliminating the need to submit separate transfer applications and ensuring continuity of service history for pension purposes. The new centralised system also extends benefits to EPS pensioners, who can now access services, submit Life Certificates at any EPFO office, and receive pensions in any bank account across India under the Centralised Pension Payment System (CPPS). The auto-settlement limit for eligible advance claims has been raised from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh for fully KYC-compliant members, with any clarifications sought during claim processing now able to be submitted online instead of requiring visits to EPFO offices. Members will also be allowed to digitally respond to queries raised online by EPFO offices wherever additional information or clarification is required during claim processing, enabling faster resolution and minimising physical visits to EPFO offices.
The upgraded EPFO 2.01 portal introduces a comprehensive service history feature that allows members to access their complete employment history linked to their UAN. As per NDTV Profit, members can access the Service History feature by simply logging into the EPFO Unified Member Portal using their UAN and password, followed by OTP authentication on their registered mobile number. After logging in, they can navigate to the "Service History" section to view and download their employment records, making it easier to verify career history, identify missing services or incorrect details, and seek corrections before filing PF withdrawal or pension claims. The service history information can also be used to verify previous employment details, confirm EPF and EPS membership, identify missing or incorrect service records, and support claim settlement, pension eligibility verification, or onboarding with a new employer. The portal also features automated pre-validation of claims and automatic PF transfers for Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Numbers (UAN) when you change jobs, allowing members to review their claim status by logging into the EPFO Unified Member Portal, clicking on the Online Services tab, and selecting Track Claim Status. Members can view all past and currently active claims, including form type, submission date, tracking ID, and processing status, with the system now able to raise queries or deficiencies directly on the portal or via SMS.
