World · India Bureau
Jan Dhan scheme: One in four accounts inactive, crores hold zero balance
A Right to Information query reveals that despite massive enrollment under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, a quarter of accounts remain dormant while over 5.72 crore accounts have zero balance, raising questions about the scheme's effectiveness.
LSN India ·
Fresh data obtained through Right to Information (RTI) requests has exposed significant operational challenges in the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), the government's flagship financial inclusion initiative. According to the latest available figures as of August 2026, approximately 25 percent of Jan Dhan accounts remain inactive, while more than 5.72 crore accounts are sitting with zero balance.
The scheme, which has enrolled over 59 crore account holders, shows a combined balance of ₹3.15 lakh crore across all active accounts. However, the disparity between total enrollment figures and operational account activity reveals a significant gap between the scheme's ambitious targets and ground-level implementation.
The high proportion of dormant accounts and zero-balance holdings suggest that while the Jan Dhan initiative has successfully expanded financial access to millions of Indians, converting account ownership into sustained financial participation remains a persistent challenge. The data indicates that a substantial portion of beneficiaries have either abandoned their accounts or are not actively utilizing the financial services provided.
These findings prompt further scrutiny into factors hindering account activation and regular usage, including awareness gaps, accessibility issues, and the need for continued financial literacy programs to maximize the scheme's intended benefits among the economically disadvantaged segments of society.