6 days ago
PM Jan Dhan Yojana Turns 12 With 59 Crore Accounts
The Jan Dhan scheme helps people who did not previously have bank accounts.
It began in India in 2014.
By August 2026, it had about 59 crore accounts and ₹3.17 lakh crore in deposits.
Most accounts are in rural or semi-urban areas, and more than half belong to women.
People can open these accounts without keeping a minimum balance or paying maintenance charges.
Many account holders receive RuPay cards with accident insurance.
Eligible customers can also get overdrafts and access to insurance, pensions and loans.
The government says the accounts help send welfare money directly to people, although a separate report found that many accounts were inactive or had zero balances.
PMJDY reached 59.09 crore accounts with ₹3,16,514 crore in deposits as of August 19, 2026.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 28, 2014, the scheme serves unbanked and economically disadvantaged people.
Rural and semi-urban areas account for 77.8% of PMJDY accounts, while women hold 55.7%.
Average deposits rose to ₹5,356 per account, 3.4 times higher than 12 years earlier, according to the Finance Ministry.
The scheme offers no-minimum-balance accounts, RuPay cards with accident insurance, overdrafts up to ₹10,000, and access to insurance, pensions and loans.
- Who
- The Finance Ministry reported the figures; Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary discussed the scheme, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- What
- The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana reached 59.09 crore accounts and ₹3,16,514 crore in deposits.
- Where
- Across India, including rural and semi-urban areas, where 77.8% of the accounts are located.
- When
- The scheme marked 12 years in August 2026; the account and deposit figures were measured as of August 19, 2026.
- Why
- The scheme aims to provide unbanked and economically disadvantaged people with basic banking and broader financial services.
Government’s Financial-Inclusion Assessment
Usage-Gap Concerns
Reach versus active use
Government’s Financial-Inclusion Assessment
The Finance Ministry says PMJDY has brought banking services to marginalised and previously unbanked people and moved India toward near-universal account coverage.
Usage-Gap Concerns
A May 2026 Mint report said inactive zero-balance accounts accounted for 26%, or 143.83 million accounts, at state-run banks as of March 2026, while reporting 36%, or 6.3 million accounts, at private banks; the figures refer to different bank groups.
Higher deposits and saving
Government’s Financial-Inclusion Assessment
The ministry says the 3.4-fold increase in average deposits indicates increased account usage and stronger saving habits.
Usage-Gap Concerns
The reported inactive and zero-balance accounts suggest that some accounts may not be used regularly, despite overall growth in accounts and deposits.
Direct welfare transfers
Government’s Financial-Inclusion Assessment
The government describes the Jan-Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile system as a mechanism that transfers welfare benefits directly, reducing intermediaries and delays.
Usage-Gap Concerns
The articles do not provide an independent assessment of the extent to which delays or intermediary involvement have declined.
Key facts
- Accounts
- 59.09 crore PMJDY accounts
- Deposits
- ₹3,16,514 crore as of August 19, 2026
- Average deposit
- ₹5,356 per account
- Account distribution
- 77.8% in rural and semi-urban areas; 55.7% held by women
- RuPay cards
- 41.29 crore issued to PMJDY account holders
- Account features
- No minimum balance requirement or maintenance charges
- Financial protection
- RuPay cards provide accident insurance cover of up to ₹2 lakh; eligible account holders can receive overdrafts of up to ₹10,000
- Additional services
- Accounts have helped extend insurance, pension coverage and formal credit, including MUDRA loans
Quotes
Pankaj Chaudhary
Minister of State for Finance
“Account ownership has enabled the common man to have insurance and pension coverage. Through relentless saturation drives across every state and district, we have moved towards near-universal coverage of bank accounts and steadily widened the reach of insurance and pension schemes to those who need them most.”
thehansindia.com
deccanchronicle.com
livemint.com
freepressjournal.in
“The delivery of financial services to the last person in society—the poorest of the poor—has been made possible without delay or the involvement of middlemen.”
livemint.com
Sources
PMJDY accounts cross 59 crore mark, deposits reach Rs 3.17 lakh crore: Govt
12 Yrs of PMJDY: 59 cr Bank Accounts Opened, Deposits Cross Rs 3.17 Lakh Cr
PM Jan Dhan Yojana marks 12 years: 59 crore bank accounts with ₹3.17 lakh cr deposits – Check full details
PM Jan Dhan Yojana Turns 12: Over 59 Crore Accounts, ₹3.17 Lakh Crore Deposits Mark Landmark Financial Inclusion Milestone In India
PM Jan Dhan Yojana turns 12 with 59 crore accounts, ₹3.17 trillion in deposits
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