Sukanya Samriddhi Account (SSA)

What is the Sukanya Samriddhi Account?

Sukanya Samriddhi Account (SSA) is a small savings scheme of the Ministry of Finance, launched in January 2015 under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign and currently governed by the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme, 2019. Parents and legal guardians open the account in the name of a girl child to build a ring-fenced corpus for her higher education and marriage.

Sukanya Samriddhi pays the highest rate among the notified small savings instruments. According to the Ministry of Finance notification of 30 June 2026, the rate for the July-September 2026 quarter is 8.2% per annum, against 7.1% for the Public Provident Fund and 7.7% for the National Savings Certificate. The 8.2% rate has been unchanged since 1 April 2024.

Key features

• Open with Rs 250; deposit up to Rs 1,50,000 in a financial year.
• Deposits are required for 15 years; the account matures at 21 years.
• Interest is compounded annually and credited at the end of each financial year, calculated on the lowest balance between the close of the fifth day and the end of the month.
• Sovereign guarantee, the deposit is a Government of India liability, not a market-linked product.
• EEE tax treatment: deduction under Section 80C, tax-free interest, tax-free maturity.
• Freely transferable across post offices and authorised banks anywhere in India when the family relocates.

Who is eligible to open a Sukanya Samriddhi Account?

You can open an account if:

• You are the parent or legal guardian of the girl child.
• The girl has not completed 10 years of age on the date of opening.
• The girl is a resident Indian citizen.
• No other Sukanya Samriddhi Account already exists in her name, only one account per girl child is permitted.
• Your family has not already opened two such accounts. A family is capped at two accounts across all its girl children.

You cannot apply, the girl is not eligible, if:

• The girl has already turned 10: there is no relaxation window, and the age is verified against the birth certificate.
• The child is not a girl. The scheme is exclusively for girl children.
• The girl is a non-resident Indian. If the account holder becomes an NRI or loses Indian citizenship after opening, the guardian must notify the accounts office, and no interest accrues from the date of that change in status.
• You are attempting a second account for the same girl, which the scheme rules prohibit; the account opening form carries a declaration to that effect.
• You already hold two accounts in the family and are not covered by the multiple-birth exception.

The two-account family cap has one carve-out. A third account is allowed for twins or triplets, for example, where the first birth is a girl and the second birth produces twin girls — on submission of an affidavit along with the birth certificates for the multiple birth.

What documents are required to open a Sukanya Samriddhi Account?

How to apply for a Sukanya Samriddhi Account

1. Visit any post office or a branch of an authorised bank. The scheme is offered by India Post and by public and major private sector banks.
2. Ask for the Sukanya Samriddhi account opening form (Form-1), which is supplied free of charge.
3. Fill in the girl child's name and date of birth exactly as they appear on her birth certificate, along with the guardian's details.
4. Attach the birth certificate of the girl child and the guardian's KYC documents, identity proof, address proof, PAN and Aadhaar.
5. Deposit the opening amount of at least Rs 250 in cash, by cheque or by demand draft. Amounts above Rs 250 must be in multiples of Rs 50.
6. Submit the form at the counter and collect the passbook, which records the account number, the date of opening and the maturity date.
7. Continue depositing at least Rs 250 every financial year for 15 years, staying within the Rs 1,50,000 annual ceiling. Post office accounts can be funded through India Post Payments Bank, and bank accounts through net banking standing instructions.

There is no online account-opening route. The first deposit and KYC must be done in person. Subsequent deposits, however, can be made electronically.

How much can a Sukanya Samriddhi Account earn?

Sukanya Samriddhi returns depend on the quarterly rate notified by the Ministry of Finance, which currently stands at 8.2% per annum compounded annually for July-September 2026. Because the rate is reset every quarter, a projection over a 21-year horizon is an illustration and not a guarantee. This guide does not publish a fixed maturity figure, because no official source guarantees the rate beyond the current quarter.

Three mechanics matter for how much you actually earn:

• Interest is computed on the lowest balance in the account between the close of the fifth day and the end of the month, so a deposit made on the 3rd of a month earns for that month and one made on the 20th does not.
• Interest is credited once a year, at the end of each financial year.
• Any amount deposited above Rs 1.5 lakh in a financial year earns no interest and is treated as an irregular deposit, returned to the depositor.

The Rs 250 floor makes the scheme reachable for very small savers; the Rs 1.5 lakh ceiling matches the Section 80C deduction limit.

When can money be withdrawn from a Sukanya Samriddhi Account?

Sukanya Samriddhi is deliberately illiquid, with three defined exits.

Partial withdrawal for education. Up to 50% of the balance at the end of the preceding financial year may be withdrawn once the girl turns 18 or passes class 10, whichever is earlier. The application must be supported by proof of admission or a fee slip from the institution, and the money can be taken as one lump sum or in up to five annual instalments.

Premature closure. Closure before maturity is permitted:

• On the death of the account holder, on production of the death certificate, with the balance and interest paid to the guardian.
• On extreme compassionate grounds. A life-threatening illness of the account holder or the death of the guardian who was operating the account, with the accounts office satisfied by documentation.
• On the girl's marriage, provided she has turned 18, and only in the window from one month before to three months after the date of marriage.
• Otherwise, after five years from the date of opening, at the discretion of the accounts office, in which case interest is paid at the post office savings account rate rather than the SSA rate.

Maturity closure. On completion of 21 years from the date of opening, the full balance with interest is paid to the account holder on application with her identity, residence and citizenship documents.

What happens if a deposit is missed?

An account that does not receive the Rs 250 minimum in a financial year becomes an account in default. Under the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme, 2019, a defaulted account can be revived by paying Rs 50 as penalty for each year of default along with the Rs 250 minimum deposit for each defaulted year. Revival is possible until 15 years from the date of opening. A defaulted account that is not revived continues to earn interest at the applicable rate on the existing balance until maturity.

Who operates the account, and when does the girl take over?

The guardian operates the account until the girl turns 18. On attaining 18, the account holder may take over operation herself by applying to the accounts office with her identity documents and the passbook. From that point she can authorise withdrawals and the final closure herself.

Help and where to complain

• India Post customer care: 1800 266 6868
• Branch level: the post office or bank branch holding the account, for passbook updates, transfers and default revival
• India Post grievance portal: available from indiapost.gov.in

Opening a Sukanya Samriddhi Account is free; no post office, bank or agent may charge a fee for opening it or for transferring it between offices.