Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)

What is PMJDY?

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is the National Mission for Financial Inclusion, launched by the Prime Minister on 28 August 2014 and run by the Department of Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance. Its purpose is to give every household, and after 2018, every unbanked adult; access to banking, remittance, credit, insurance and pension at affordable cost.

According to the Department of Financial Services, PMJDY works on the principle of "banking the unbanked, securing the unsecured, funding the unfunded". The account is a Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA), which under Reserve Bank of India rules carries no minimum balance requirement.

The scheme was originally set to run to August 2018 with a household focus. It was extended beyond August 2018 with the focus shifted from "every household" to "every unbanked adult", and the overdraft and RuPay insurance benefits were enhanced at the same time.

Key objectives

• Provide universal access to banking, with at least one basic account per unbanked adult.
• Deliver government benefits by Direct Benefit Transfer into an Aadhaar-seeded account instead of cash or in-kind distribution.
• Build a base for the wider Jan Suraksha social security schemes, PMJJBY, PMSBY and Atal Pension Yojana: all of which need a bank account.
• Extend banking to villages through Bank Mitras, the business correspondents who carry a micro-ATM to the doorstep.

Main features

• Zero balance to open, no minimum balance to maintain.
• Free RuPay debit card with Rs 2 lakh accident insurance for accounts opened on or after 28 August 2018 (Rs 1 lakh for earlier accounts).
• Overdraft of up to Rs 10,000 for one account holder per household after six months of satisfactory conduct, with the first Rs 2,000 available without conditions.
• Aadhaar-based e-KYC account opening, and a Small Account route on self-certification for people with no documents.
• Interest on deposits at the bank's normal savings rate, with no cap on the amount you may keep in the account.

Who is eligible for PMJDY?

You can open a PMJDY account if:

• You are an Indian resident.
• You are an adult without a bank account: since 2018 the scheme targets every unbanked adult rather than one account per household.
• You can complete Aadhaar-based e-KYC, or produce any Officially Valid Document, or are willing to open a Small Account on self-certification if you have neither.
• For the overdraft, you are between 18 and 65 years of age and have operated the account satisfactorily for six months.

You cannot apply, or are not eligible, if:

• You already hold a savings bank account. PMJDY is for the unbanked; an existing account can be converted into a BSBDA with a RuPay card instead of opening a duplicate.
• You are a Non-Resident Indian; PMJDY is for resident individuals.
• You are applying on behalf of a firm, company, trust, society or any non-individual entity; these are not eligible.
• For the overdraft only: you are a minor, or above 65 years, or another member of your household has already taken the PMJDY overdraft, since it is limited to one per household.

What documents are required to open a PMJDY account?

A Small Account carries limits — the balance, annual credits and monthly withdrawals are capped, and it is valid for a limited period within which you are expected to produce a valid document. It exists so that nobody is turned away for want of paperwork.

How to apply for a PMJDY account offline

1. Visit any bank branch, or a Bank Mitra / Business Correspondent outlet in your village or locality, of any public sector bank, private bank, regional rural bank or eligible small finance bank.
2. Ask specifically for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana account opening form, available in English, Hindi and regional languages, and fill it in.
3. Give your Aadhaar number and complete biometric e-KYC at the counter or on the Bank Mitra's micro-ATM. If you have no Aadhaar, submit an Officially Valid Document; if you have neither, ask for a Small Account on self-certification.
4. Attach a photograph and sign or give a thumb impression on the form and the RuPay card application.
5. Collect the account number, passbook and RuPay debit card, the card is free and the PIN is issued separately.
6. Use the RuPay card at least once within the period your bank specifies, because the Rs 2 lakh accident cover requires the card to have been used within the prescribed window before the accident.
7. After six months of satisfactory operation, apply at the same branch for the overdraft of up to Rs 10,000 if you are between 18 and 65.

How to apply for a PMJDY account online

1. Open the website or mobile app of the bank where you want the account, or download the account opening form from pmjdy.gov.in.
2. Choose the Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA) or Jan Dhan account option and start Aadhaar-based e-KYC with OTP on your Aadhaar-linked mobile number.
3. Complete the video KYC call where the bank offers it, keeping your Aadhaar and PAN in hand.
4. Submit the application and note the reference number; the passbook and RuPay card are dispatched or collected at the branch.

What benefits does a PMJDY account provide?

The Rs 30,000 life cover announced when the scheme was launched applied only to first-time account holders who opened an account between 15 August 2014 and 31 January 2015 and is no longer offered. Life insurance today comes through Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, which is a separate scheme with its own annual premium.

How large is PMJDY today?

According to the Ministry of Finance, as on 1 July 2026:

• 58.63 crore PMJDY accounts have been opened.
• Rs 3.08 lakh crore is held as deposits in those accounts.
• 32.68 crore accounts (55.74 per cent) are held by women.
• 38.68 crore free RuPay debit cards have been issued.

Deposits have grown roughly twelve-fold since the scheme started in 2014, while the number of accounts has grown about three-fold, which is the more telling statistic, because it means existing account holders are actually saving in these accounts rather than leaving them dormant.

How to link your PMJDY account for DBT

1. Take your Aadhaar card and passbook to the branch or Bank Mitra and ask for Aadhaar seeding of the account for DBT.
2. Sign the NPCI mapper consent so that your Aadhaar points to this account for benefit transfers. A person can have Aadhaar mapped to only one account for DBT at a time.
3. Verify the seeding status on the UIDAI website or the bank's app before the next benefit cycle.

Common problems with PMJDY accounts

• Account gone dormant because there was no transaction for two years, reactivate at the branch with fresh KYC.
• Aadhaar mapped to a different bank, so DBT lands elsewhere; re-seed at the bank where you want the money.
• RuPay accident claim rejected because the card was not used within the prescribed period before the accident.
• Overdraft refused because another household member has already taken it, or because the account is under six months old, or the holder is above 65.
• Small Account limits hit because a valid document was never submitted.

Help and grievance redressal

• PMJDY national toll free number: 1800-11-0001
• State-wise toll free numbers are listed on pmjdy.gov.in under Contact Information
• Your bank's branch or Bank Mitra; first point of contact for account, card and overdraft issues
• Banking Ombudsman under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, if the bank does not resolve a complaint in 30 days

Opening a PMJDY account is free and so is the RuPay debit card. No bank official or Bank Mitra may charge you for opening the account, and no genuine bank employee will ever ask for your OTP, PIN or card number over the phone.