Every fourth Jan Dhan account inoperative; 5.72 crore have zero balance: RTI
An RTI response reveals that one in four accounts under India's Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is inoperative, with over 5.72 crore accounts holding a zero balance. The data highlights regional disparities in account usage across several Indian states.
Why it matters
Raises questions about the effectiveness of government financial inclusion programs and the actual reach of banking services to the rural poor.
Every fourth account under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana is inoperative, while nearly 5.72 crore accounts had zero balance, according to an RTI reply.
More than 59 crore accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) held a combined balance of over ₹3.15 lakh crore as of August 12, 2026.
The Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, in its response to activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur's RTI application, said there were 59,03,74,907 PMJDY accounts across the country, with a total balance of ₹3,15,179.90 crore.
Of the total accounts, 32.89 crore were held by women, including transgender account holders, while 26.14 crore were held by men.
The data showed that 5,72,35,490 PMJDY accounts had zero balance, while 15,36,77,009 accounts were classified as inoperative.
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