Not every Indian has access to financial services. It may sound unbelievable, but there are crores of Indians who still don’t know where to go for banking, credit, and insurance services. To change that, the Government of India launched a scheme – Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana in August 2014 and that is what we’ll be looking at today.

What is Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)?

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is a national scheme that was launched to bring about financial inclusion. What that means is, to provide access to the full repertoire of financial services, such as banking, remittance, credit, insurance and pension, to all sections of the society. The scheme is focused on the less privileged section of our society.

Under the scheme, a basic savings bank deposit (BSBD) account can be opened in any bank branch or Business Correspondent (Bank Mitra) outlet, by persons not having any other account. Accounts under the PMJDY are opened with zero balance, although if the account-holders wish to get cheque books, they are required to fulfil the minimum balance criteria.

How to open a Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) account online?

The procedure to open a PMJDY account online is pretty straightforward. Here is how you can do it:

  • Obtain the form for opening a Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana account from the official website of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, or any other bank website.
  • Carefully fill the form and attach the required documents.
  • The application is referred to as the financial inclusion account opening form. It is divided into three sections in which you must supply information about yourself, your nominee, and the bank where the account is being opened.
  • After filling the form and attaching the necessary documents, take it to a nearby bank branch. After proper verification of the documents, the bank account will be opened.

Which banks provide the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana scheme?

You can visit any of the following public-sector and private banks to open an account under the PMJDY scheme.

  • Dhanlaxmi Bank Ltd.
  • YES Bank Ltd.
  • Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.
  • Karnataka Bank Ltd.
  • ING Vysya Bank Ltd.
  • IndusInd Bank Ltd.
  • Federal Bank Ltd.
  • HDFC Bank Ltd.
  • Axis Bank Ltd.
  • ICICI Bank Ltd.
  • Public Sector Banks:
  • Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC)
  • Union Bank of India
  • Allahabad Bank
  • Dena Bank
  • Syndicate Bank
  • Punjab & Sind Bank
  • Vijaya Bank
  • Central Bank of India
  • Punjab National Bank (PNB)
  • Indian Bank
  • IDBI Bank
  • Corporation Bank
  • Canara Bank
  • Bank of India (BoI)
  • Bank of Maharashtra
  • Andhra Bank
  • Bank of Baroda (BoB)
  • State Bank of India (SBI)

What are the benefits of the PMJDY scheme?

These are some of the key benefits of opening an account under the PMJDY scheme:

  • No minimum balance requirement.
  • Interest is earned on deposits in the PMJDY accounts.
  • An overdraft (OD) facility up to ₹10,000 to eligible account holders is available.
  • PMJDY accounts are eligible for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Bank (MUDRA) scheme.

Eligibility Criteria for PMJDY:

Individuals must meet the following criteria in order to open a PMJDY account:

  1. You must be an Indian citizen.
  2. You must be at least ten years old.
  3. You shouldn’t have a bank account.

Documents Required to open PMJDY account:

Individuals who want to open an account must submit valid documents. The following is a list of documentation required for a PMJDY account under the scheme:

  1. Passport
  2. Aadhaar Card
  3. Driving license
  4. Permanent Account Number (PAN) card
  5. Voter’s identity card
  6. Job card issued by NREGA duly signed by an officer of state government
  7. Letter issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India containing details of name, address and Aadhaar number.
  8. Any other document as notified by the central government in consultation with the regulator.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS):

1. Is it possible to register a joint account through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana?

Ans: Yes, under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, you can open a joint account.

2. Under PMJDY, where do I open a bank account?

Ans: You can open a bank account under PMJDY with any Business Correspondent outlet or a nominated bank that offers this scheme.

3. Is it possible to link my mobile number to my PMJDY bank account?

Ans: Yes, you can link your bank account to your phone number. You can do so by contacting the bank where you first opened your PMJDY account. Based on the information you supply, the bank will enter your cellphone number into the CBS system.

4. Under PMJDY, what is a tiny account, often known as a chota khata account?

Ans: A small account is a type of bank account that is opened for a period of 12 months under PMJDY. A person who does not have valid documentation to open an account can open a modest account PMJDY. However, to keep the account open after 12 months, the account holder must submit the relevant paperwork.

5. Is it possible for me to get life insurance through my PMJDY Bank Account?

Ans: Yes, your family would be covered by life insurance if something unforeseen happened to you.

6. How much life insurance coverage does PMJDY provide?

Ans: The scheme provides a Rs. 30,000 life insurance policy.

7. Will my dependents get multiple health insurance coverages if I have multiple bank accounts under PMJDY?

Ans: No, your family will not be covered by multiple life insurance policies. Only one account will be evaluated, and the life insurance policy will be offered to one person based on it.