The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was launched in August 2014 with the aim to provide universal banking services through opening of zero balance bank account for every unbanked household, based on the guiding principles of banking the unbanked, securing the unsecured and funding the unfunded (access to credit).

The penetration of PMJDY at national level, as on 12.07.2023, is as under–

Number of Accounts	49.49 crore
Deposit in Accounts	Rs 2,00,958 crore
Number of Rupay Cards issued	33.75 crore
Number of women beneficiaries	27.49 crore
No of beneficiaries in Rural/Semi urban	32.98 crore

Source: Banks

The Minister stated that the last mile delivery of basic banking services like cash deposit, cash withdrawal, intrabank or interbank fund transfer, balance enquiry and mini statement, etc. are being provided to the bank customers through banking outlets. Government is monitoring the availability of banking outlets (bank branch / business correspondent / Indian Post Payments Bank (IPPB) branch) for providing banking services within 5 km of all inhabited villages. Out of 6,01,328 mapped inhabited villages, 99.63% villages are covered by a banking outlet through 1.71 lakh Branches, 7.70 lakh BCs, and 1.44 lakh India Post Payments Banks (IPPB).

The main features of the scheme are as below:

• One Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) account to “every unbanked adult”.
• OD limit of Rs.10,000; and
• Free Rupay debit card with inbuilt accident insurance cover of Rs.2 lakh (Rs 1 lakh for accounts opened before 28.08.2018).

Financial inclusion: universal basic savings accounts expand banking access and debit card services for unbanked households nationwide. The scheme provides universal zero balance Basic Savings Bank Deposit accounts to unbanked adults, supported by near universal banking outlet coverage through branches, business correspondents and post bank outlets; it includes an overdraft facility at the prescribed limit and issuance of a RuPay debit card with built in accidental insurance, with scheme uptake and card issuance reported at large scale as of 12 July 2023.