Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) marked 12 years of operation on 28 August 2025, with Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi crediting the scheme with transforming financial inclusion into economic empowerment for crores of Indians, particularly women and rural households.

Key Milestones at 12 Years

More than 59 crore Jan-Dhan accounts have been opened since the scheme's launch, according to the Minister. Of these, 56 per cent are held by women and 78 per cent are in villages and small towns — figures that underscore the scheme's reach into India's most underserved communities.

Deposits in Jan-Dhan accounts have crossed ₹3.1 lakh crore, while a cumulative ₹53 lakh crore has been transferred directly to beneficiaries through the JAM trinity — Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile — the digital infrastructure backbone of India's direct benefit transfer architecture.

What the Government Said

In a post on X, Annpurna Devi said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the scheme has 'connected crores of citizens — especially women and rural families — with the formal banking system and built a strong foundation of financial self-reliance.' She described PMJDY as 'not merely a scheme for opening bank accounts, but a transformative journey of dignity, security and empowerment.'

Mission Shakti: Parallel Push for Women's Safety

Separately, the Minister chaired a meeting of the Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached to the Ministry of Women and Child Development in Kolkata, where discussions centred on three pillars of Mission Shakti — One Stop Centres (OSC), Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), and SANKALP: Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW).

Under Mission Shakti's 'Sambal' sub-scheme — covering One Stop Centres, the Women Helpline, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Nari Adalat — the Centre provides 100 per cent financial assistance to states and Union Territories. The 'Samarthya' sub-scheme follows a 60:40 Centre-state funding split, adjusted to 90:10 for North Eastern and Special Category States; UTs without a legislature receive full Central funding.

One Stop Centres and PMMVY: On the Ground

Of the 1,033 One Stop Centres approved under the Nirbhaya Fund — operational since 1 April 2015 — 991 are functional and have collectively assisted more than 15.20 lakh women affected by violence or in distress. The scheme targets at least one OSC in every district across the country.

Under PMMVY, implemented pan-India since 1 January 2017, eligible mothers receive a cash incentive of ₹5,000 for the first child — disbursed in two instalments of ₹3,000 on pregnancy registration and ante-natal check-up, and ₹2,000 on childbirth registration and completion of the first vaccination cycle — directly into Aadhaar-seeded bank or post office accounts.

Broader Significance

This comes amid a sustained government push to deepen financial access ahead of the next general cycle of welfare scheme reviews. Notably, the JAM trinity's ₹53 lakh crore direct transfer figure positions India's digital public infrastructure as a model cited by multilateral agencies. The convergence of PMJDY's banking reach with Mission Shakti's safety net signals an effort to move women's policy from single-point interventions to a layered, systemic framework. How effectively these schemes intersect on the ground — particularly for women in conflict-affected or remote districts — remains a key question for the next phase of implementation.