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The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana completed 12 years, having been launched on 28 August 2014 as India's National Mission for Financial Inclusion under the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
As on 19 August 2026 the scheme had 59.09 crore accounts holding deposits of ₹3,16,514 crore — an average of ₹5,356 per account — against 14.72 crore accounts in 2015.
Women hold 32.92 crore accounts (55.7%) and 45.95 crore accounts (77.8%) are in rural and semi-urban areas; 13.14 crore are urban and metropolitan.
41.29 crore free RuPay debit cards have been issued to account holders, each carrying an inbuilt accident cover whose premium is borne by the National Payments Corporation of India.
The scheme anchors the JAM (Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile) trinity that routes Direct Benefit Transfers, and doubles as the gateway to PMJJBY, PMSBY, Atal Pension Yojana and MUDRA credit.
Universal access to a basic bank account, plus credit, remittances, insurance and pension for low-income and unbanked groups
Key: Launched 28 August 2014 by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance. Zero-balance Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account, open to any Indian citizen with no upper age limit; joint accounts permitted; accounts may be opened at a bank branch or a Business Correspondent (Bank Mitra) outlet. Carries a free RuPay debit card and an overdraft of up to ₹10,000.
One-year renewable life insurance for savings bank account holders
Key: Launched 9 May 2015. Covers death from any cause; entry age 18–50 years with cover continuing to age 55. Sum assured ₹2 lakh at an annual premium of ₹330.
One-year renewable accident insurance for savings bank account holders
Key: Launched 9 May 2015 alongside PMJJBY. Age band 18–70 years; annual premium ₹20; ₹2 lakh for accidental death or total disability and ₹1 lakh for partial disability.
Guaranteed minimum pension for unorganised-sector workers
Key: Open to citizens aged 18–40; administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) within the National Pension System architecture. Guarantees ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 a month from age 60, in five slabs, funded by contributions fixed by entry age.
Collateral-free institutional credit to micro enterprises
Key: Named in the release as one of the benefits PMJDY accounts unlock; the visible savings record in a Jan Dhan account is what makes an account holder loan-eligible.
Extend banking to locations without a branch
Key: An agent authorised to act as an extended arm of a bank branch — opening accounts, accepting deposits and enabling withdrawals. PMJDY's rural reach rests on this network rather than on branch expansion.
JAM is the convergence of three pieces of public infrastructure: a bank account for every adult (Jan Dhan), a unique biometric identity to authenticate the beneficiary (Aadhaar), and a mobile number to reach and confirm them. Together they let the Government credit a subsidy or benefit straight into a verified account through Direct Benefit Transfer, removing the intermediaries who previously stood between a scheme and its beneficiary. PMJDY sits at the base of this stack: without near-universal account ownership, Aadhaar authentication has nothing to pay into.
Simple Analogy: Aadhaar answers 'who are you', the mobile answers 'where can we reach you', and the Jan Dhan account answers 'where does the money land'. A payment needs all three answers before it can move.
Implements PMJDY and the Jan Suraksha social security schemes; the nodal department for banking, insurance and pension policy
Owns and operates RuPay and bears the premium on the accident cover attached to PMJDY RuPay cards; also runs UPI, IMPS, AePS and NACH
Publishes the Financial Inclusion Index and regulates the banks and Business Correspondent framework that deliver PMJDY
Administers the Atal Pension Yojana under the National Pension System architecture
| Aspect | PMJJBY | PMSBY | Atal Pension Yojana |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Life insurance — death from any cause | Accidental death and disability | Guaranteed monthly pension after 60 |
| Launched | 9 May 2015 | 9 May 2015 | 9 May 2015 |
| Age eligibility | 18–50 years (cover to 55) | 18–70 years | 18–40 years |
| Annual cost | ₹330 | ₹20 | Contribution varies by entry age and pension slab |
| Benefit | ₹2 lakh | ₹2 lakh death or total disability; ₹1 lakh partial | ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 a month, in five slabs |
| Regulator or administrator | Life insurers, DFS | General insurers, DFS | PFRDA under the National Pension System |
The Prime Minister announces a national financial inclusion mission in the Independence Day address
PMJDY formally launched; the campaign week that follows sets a Guinness World Record of 1,80,96,130 accounts opened in seven days
Deposits under PMJDY stand at ₹15,670 crore
Guinness World Records formally recognises the single-week account-opening record achieved by the campaign led by the Department of Financial Services
Account base reaches 14.72 crore
PMJJBY, PMSBY and Atal Pension Yojana launched, converting the Jan Dhan account into an entry point for insurance and pension
Objective widened from 'every household' to 'every unbanked adult'; RuPay accident cover raised to ₹2 lakh for new accounts and the overdraft ceiling doubled to ₹10,000
RBI publishes the first Financial Inclusion Index, reading 53.9 for the year ended March 2021
59.09 crore accounts, ₹3,16,514 crore in deposits and 41.29 crore RuPay cards issued
PIB Backgrounder and the Ministry of Finance mark the completion of 12 years
DBT is the delivery channel PMJDY made possible at scale; every subsidy question that turns on 'leakage' and 'intermediaries' runs through the JAM trinity
Aadhaar for identity, UPI for payments and PMJDY for accounts are the three layers usually cited as India's DPI stack, and the model India now exports through its G20 and bilateral engagements
The Business Correspondent network built for PMJDY is also the rural channel through which banks reach priority-sector borrowers
A savings history in a Jan Dhan account is the credit record that makes a first-time borrower eligible for institutional micro-credit
The Quality parameter of the RBI's FI-Index — 20% weight — covers financial literacy, consumer protection and service equity, the areas where account access alone does not help
GS Paper 3 > Indian Economy > Inclusive Growth; GS Paper 2 > Governance > Welfare Schemes
Banking Awareness > Financial Inclusion and Government Schemes
General Awareness > Government Schemes
General Awareness > Current Affairs and Schemes
Consider the following statements: 1. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) helps in promoting the financial inclusion in the country. 2. NPCI has launched RuPay, a card payment scheme. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: Both 1 and 2
'Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana' has been launched for
Answer: promoting financial inclusion in the country
What is/are the facility/facilities the beneficiaries can get from the services of Business Correspondent (Bank Saathi) in branchless areas? 1. It enables the beneficiaries to draw their subsidies and social security benefits in their villages. 2. It enables the beneficiaries in the rural areas to make deposits and withdrawals. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer: Both 1 and 2
The establishment of 'Payment Banks' is being allowed in India to promote financial inclusion. Which of the following statements is/are correct in this context? 1. Mobile telephone companies and supermarket chains that are owned and controlled by residents are eligible to be promoters of Payment Banks. 2. Payment Banks can issue both credit cards and debit cards. 3. Payment Banks cannot undertake lending activities. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer: 1 and 3 only
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana is aimed at
Answer: bringing the small entrepreneurs into formal financial system
Very high — PMJDY, the JAM trinity and the Jan Suraksha schemes recur across UPSC Prelims, banking and SSC papers almost every year, and anniversary releases refresh the numbers annually
A no-frills savings account with no minimum balance requirement and no maintenance charge; the account type PMJDY opens
Jan Dhan account, Aadhaar identity and mobile connectivity working together to deliver benefits directly into a verified account
An authorised agent acting as an extended arm of a bank branch, used to reach locations without a branch
Crediting a subsidy or welfare payment straight into a beneficiary's bank account instead of routing it through intermediaries or in-kind delivery
The RBI's annual 0–100 composite measure of financial inclusion built on Access (35%), Usage (45%) and Quality (20%)