Women hold 56% of over 56 crore Jan Dhan accounts opened in 11 years: Finance Minister

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Eleven years since its launch, more than 56 crore bank accounts have been opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), with a deposit balance of Rs 2.68 lakh crore, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on August 28.

Women account for 56 percent of the total accounts, the minister said, highlighting the scheme’s focus on promoting financial inclusion among underprivileged sections.

“PMJDY has been instrumental in bringing the unbanked into the formal financial system and empowering women and underprivileged communities to access financial services,” Sitharaman said.

Launched on August 28, 2014, PMJDY is a financial inclusion programme aimed at providing universal access to banking services, particularly to women, rural populations, and economically disadvantaged groups.

According to official figures, 67 percent of the accounts are in rural and semi-urban areas, reflecting the scheme’s outreach beyond urban centres.

Digital access

Over 38 crore RuPay cards have been issued to account holders under the scheme, facilitating transactions. The Jan-Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) trinity has further enabled the transfer of Rs 6.9 lakh crore under various direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes in FY 2024-25, ensuring subsidies reach beneficiaries directly, the finance ministry said in a statement.

PMJDY accounts come with zero balance requirements, a free RuPay debit card that carries accident insurance coverage of Rs 2 lakh, and an overdraft facility of up to Rs 10,000.

The scheme also supports digital payments through UPI, PoS, and e-commerce platforms.

A nationwide campaign, which started on July 1 and ends September 30, is on to open new accounts in all 2.7 lakh gram panchayats, update KYC details and promote micro-insurance and pension schemes.