The third installment of Rs.500 / – to women holding Jandhan account will be deposited on this date!

Under the scheme, financial literacy programme which aims to take financial literacy upto village level is provided for better understanding of the whole mechanism. The Mission also envisages extension of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under various Government Schemes through bank accounts of the recipients. The Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) are also being linked with RuPay platform. Micro insurance to the people, and unorganised sector Pension schemes like Swavalamban through the Business Correspondents have also been included for the second phase of the programme.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is a financial inclusion program of the Government of India open to Indian citizens (minors of age 10 and older can also open an account with a guardian to manage it), that aims to expand affordable access to financial services such as bank accounts, remittances, credit, insurance and pensions. This financial inclusion campaign was launched by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 28 August 2014. He had announced this scheme on his first Independence Day speech on 15 August 2014.

According to an analysis of various studies, “Beyond enabling account ownership and the use of financial services, the PMJDY also facilitated financial inclusion for a variety of demographics. While the programme has made significant headway towards genuine financial inclusion, it is clear that improving policy communication, widening and deepening progress in low-income states, and ironing out the kinks in the bank-agent model will be crucial if these hard-fought gains are to prove sustainable

At least 300 million new families have got Jan Dhan accounts in which almost ₹650 billion (US$9.1 billion) have been deposited, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on 28 August 2017, on the eve of third anniversary of the scheme aimed at financial inclusion.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI), vide its Press Release dated 26.08.2014, has further clarified that those persons who do not have any of the ‘officially valid documents’ can open “Small Accounts” with banks. A “Small Account” can be opened on the basis of a self-attested photograph and putting his/her signatures or thumb print in the presence of officials of the bank. Such accounts have limitations regarding the aggregate credits (not more than Rupees one lakh in a year), aggregate withdrawals (nor more than Rupees ten thousand in a month) and balance in the accounts (not more than Rupees fifty thousand at any point of time). These accounts would be valid normally for a period of twelve months. Thereafter, such accounts would be allowed to continue for a further period of twelve more months, if the account-holder provides a document showing that he/she has applied for any of the Officially Valid Document, within 12 months of opening the small account.

Against the original target of opening bank accounts for 7.5 crore uncovered households in the country by 26th January, 2015, banks have already opened 12.54 crore accounts as on 31st January 2015 after conducting survey of 21.06 crore households with deposits exceeding Rs 10,000 crores. The target was set after conducting a survey of 21.02 crore households in the country. Today, a coverage of almost 100% has been achieved. Out of the accounts opened, 60% are in rural areas and 40% are in urban areas. Share of female account holders is about 51%.

The account can be opened in any bank branch or Business Correspondent (Bank Mitr) outlet. Accounts opened under PMJDY are being opened with Zero balance. However, if the account-holder wishes to get cheque book, he/she will have to fulfill minimum balance criteria.

Run by Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, under this scheme 15 million bank accounts were opened on inauguration day