A total of 54.58 crore JanDhan accounts have been opened till January 15, 2025, of which 30.37 crore (55.7 per cent) belong to women, said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Monday.
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She said that to ensure accessibility of these schemes to women, rural population, marginalised groups and underprivileged communities in the country, various steps are being taken.
These include allocation of targets to all banks under each scheme; organisation of various camps and specialised campaigns to promote awareness; periodic review of performance of banks, among others.
All Banks, including private ones, participate in these activities to ensure effectiveness of these schemes and make them accessible to all stakeholders, she said.
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The Union Government has initiated the National Mission for Financial Inclusion (NMFI), namely the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) in August, 2014 to provide universal banking services for every unbanked household with a strong focus on women. PMJDY Scheme was extended beyond August 14, 2018 and the focus was shifted to “every unbanked adult” instead of “every household”.
Sitharaman highlighted that these campaigns aim at enrolling individuals under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and other financial inclusion schemes.
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Further, the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) also plays a crucial role by coordinating efforts among banks, government agencies, Lead District Managers, Financial Institutions, Insurance companies, and other stakeholders, the minister said.
She also highlighted that a strong network of about 13 lakh Banking Correspondents, 107 Digital Banking Units (as on December 2024), Jan Samarth portal, PSB Loans in 59 Minutes, Stand-up Mitra, etc have also been pivotal in the financial inclusion.
