Page 36 - NIS English 16-31 August 2025

NATION | 11 years of PM Jan Dhan

The story of excellence Figures tell the story of success
was also recorded in the
Guinness World Records Then
r22,901
crore was
deposited in Jan Now
Dhan accounts
till August 2.62
2015
lakh crore has
Despite there being been
1,80,96,130 no requirement to keep deposited till
23 July 2025
balance in Jan Dhan
Accounts were opened under the Jan Dhan accounts, the figure
Yojana in one week, between 23 to 29 of the deposit itself
August 2014. This achievement made it into tells the story of its
the Guinness Book of World Records. success…

PM Jan Dhan account holders are given Global FIDEX Database 2025 states that 89 percent

the option to contribute, along with of the people in India have bank accounts, which
encouragement to enrol in social security was only 35 percent in 2011. That is, the number
of people holding bank accounts has increased by
schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti more than two and a half times.

Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Bima This scheme has proved to be important in the
Suraksha Yojana, and Atal Pension Yojana. direction of women’s empowerment. Out of the
total bank accounts opened so far, 56 percent of
account holders are women. Nearly 100 percent,
i.e., more than 6 lakh villages, have been covered
by banking outlets within 5 kilometres. Under-
RuPay debit card, along with accident insurance of privileged families are easily joining various
Rs 1 lakh. The objective was clear: to make available schemes of the Central and State governments
to the poorest of the poor citizens with the facility through this account. To fulfil their economic
of a bank account so that the window of economic needs, various social security schemes have
progress could open for this deprived class. The also been linked to this account. Jan Dhan bank
amount of accident insurance was later increased accounts are also contributing towards breaking
to Rs 2 lakh, and along with this, the facility of over- the mental barriers among the poor and awaken-
draft up to Rs 10 thousand was also added to the ing their pride and self-respect.
account. Around 38.5 crore RuPay debit cards have
been issued under the scheme, which is more than HELP REACHED THE RIGHT
the population of the US and Canada combined.
With the success of the scheme, the objective of BENEFICIARIES THROUGH DBT
at least one bank account in every family was moved It is the wonder of Jan Dhan Yojana that during
forward, and the target of providing a bank account the biggest disaster of the century, COVID-19, the
for every adult individual was set. In 11 years, this government transferred more than 30 thousand
scheme has written a new history of financial inclu- crore rupees directly to the bank accounts of
sion in India as well as the world by opening about 56 crores of women. There were about 10 crore such
crore bank accounts, and now every penny sent by fake beneficiaries in the country, who were not
the central government for development is reaching even born and were being given government aid;
the beneficiaries directly. The World Bank’s latest such beneficiaries were removed from the list.

34 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || August 16-31, 2025