Current Context: The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) completed 12 years on 28 August 2026. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 August 2014 as the National Mission for Financial Inclusion.
Key Points:
- PMJDY was launched on 28 August 2014 with the objective of ensuring affordable access to financial services, particularly for poor, rural and previously unbanked households.
- The scheme aims to bring unbanked people into the formal financial system by providing access to bank accounts, credit, insurance, pensions and digital payments.
- As of 19 August 2026, the total number of Jan Dhan accounts reached 59.09 crore, compared with about 14.72 crore in 2015.
- Around 32.92 crore accounts, or 55.7%, are held by women, showing the scheme's significant role in women's financial inclusion.
- About 45.95 crore accounts, or 77.8%, are located in rural and semi-urban areas, demonstrating PMJDY's focus on underserved communities.
- Total deposits under PMJDY stood at about ₹3,16,514 crore, or approximately ₹3.17 lakh crore, as of 19 August 2026. Deposits have increased nearly 12.8 times over the past 12 years.
- The average deposit per PMJDY account increased to approximately ₹5,356, indicating greater usage of the accounts and higher savings among beneficiaries.
- More than 41 crore RuPay debit cards have been issued to PMJDY account holders, helping expand access to digital payments and cashless transactions.
- PMJDY accounts form an important part of the JAM Trinity: Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile. JAM allows government subsidies and welfare benefits to be transferred directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), reducing leakages and intermediaries.
- PMJDY has also helped connect people with other financial services such as insurance, pensions and formal credit, making it one of the world's largest financial inclusion programmes.
- The broader objective of PMJDY can be remembered through the principles of Banking the Unbanked, Securing the Unsecured and Funding the Unfunded.
Question
Q1. How many Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts had been opened as of 19 August 2026?a) 49.09 crore
b) 54.25 crore
c) 59.09 crore
d) 65.40 crore
Answer: c) As of 19 August 2026, 59.09 crore PMJDY accounts had been opened, with deposits of approximately ₹3.17 lakh crore. Around 56% of the account holders are women and nearly 78% of the accounts are in rural and semi-urban areas.
