PRADHAN MANTRI JAN-DHAN YOJANA (PMJDY)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. 1. What is Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana?

Ans. Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is National Mission for Financial

Inclusion to ensure access to financial services, namely, Banking/ Savings & Deposit

Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance and Pension in an affordable manner.

Q.2. How is PMJDY different from the earlier Financial Inclusion Plan

(Swabhimaan)?

Ans. PMJDY focuses on coverage of households as against the earlier plan which focused

on coverage of villages. It focuses on coverage of rural as well as urban areas. Earlier

plan targeted only villages above 2000 population while under PMJDY whole country is

to be covered by extending banking facilities in each Sub-Service area consisting of 1000

– 1500 households such that facility is available to all within a reasonable distance, say

about 5 Km.

Q.3. Whether Joint account can be opened in Pradhan Mantri Jan-

Dhan Yojana?

Ans. Yes, joint account can be opened.

Q.4. Under this Scheme, where can I open an account?

Ans. Account can be opened in any bank branch or Business Correspondent (Bank Mitr)

outlet.

Q.5. What is BSBDA Account ?

Ans. Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA) has been defined by RBI vide its

circular dated 10.08.2012. Its salient features are:

 There is no requirement of minimum balance.

 The services available include deposit and withdrawal of cash at bank branch as well as

ATMs; receipt/credit of money through electronic payment channels or by means of

collection/deposit of cheques.

 Maximum of 4 withdrawals a month including ATM withdrawal. No such limit for

deposits.

 Facility of ATM card or ATM-cum-Debit card.

 These facilities are to be provided without any extra cost.

Q.6. Whether there are any restrictions like age, income, amount etc.

criteria for opening BSBDA by banks for individuals?

Ans. Any individual above the age of 10 years can open BSBDA Account.

Q.7. What is RuPay Debit Card?

Ans. Rupay Debit Card is an indigenous domestic debit card introduced by National

Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). This card is accepted at all ATMs (for cash

withdrawal) and at most of the PoS machines (for making cashless payment for

purchases) in the country.

Q.8. What is PIN Number ?

Ans. Personal Identification Number (PIN) is randomly generated code for use of ATM

Card at the time of withdrawal of money from ATM Machine and also at the time of

making payment on PoS.

Q. 9. How to keep your RuPay Card safe?

Ans. Beneficiary of RuPay Card is required to keep the Card in safe custody. PIN

should be changed at frequent intervals and should never be shared with anyone. While

using the card at ATM Machine or PoS, PIN should be entered in machine very secretly

so that nobody could even guess about the PIN Number. As far as possible, Card

should be used at authorized places / centres only. Besides, PIN number should never

be written on the Card.

Q.10. What is special advantage of RuPay Debit Card?

Ans. It provides accidental insurance cover upto Rs.1.00 lac without any charge to the

customer.

Q.11. Whether illiterate customers can be issued RuPay Card?

Ans. Yes. However, Branch Manager will have to advise all the related risks to the

illiterate account-holder at the time of issuance of RuPay Card.

Q.12. How to link Mobile Number with Bank Account ?

Ans. Mobile Number of an account holder is entered in customer’s account in CBS

System by the Bank on the basis of information given in the Account Opening Form.

Also, for existing accounts, banks permit seeding through ATM, SMS from registered

mobile, net-banking or on making a request in the branch (there may be variations

depending on the bank).

Q.13. How to keep debit card operational ?

Ans. To get benefit of Accidental Insurance Cover, RuPay Debit Card must be used at

least once in 45 days.

Q.14. How long the debit card is valid and how to get Debit Card

renewed ?

Ans. Debit Card expiry date is mentioned on the Card itself. Account-holder is advised

to get issued new card well before expiry date of his/her existing card by giving fresh

application to the concerned bank.

Q.15. If someone has two or more accounts and two or more RuPay

Debit Cards, whether accidental insurance cove is available in each

account / each card?

Ans. Accidental insurance cover is available only in one account.

Q.16. What is PoS Machine ?

Ans. PoS stands for Point of Sale. PoS Machine is a small device installed at almost

all Business Centres to facilitate cashless purchases to their customers.

Q.17. Does a person already having a Bank account in any bank needs

to open another account under Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojna

(PMJDY) to get the Accidental Benefit/Life Insurance Benefit under the

Scheme?

Ans. For getting the life insurance cover in PMJDY, accounts opened between 15.08.2014

to 26.01.2015 for the first time will get the benefit. Existing account holders can get

issued a RuPay Card in his existing account to get benefit of accident insurance. Credit

facility can be extended in the existing account if it is being operated satisfactorily.

Therefore existing account holders need not open new accounts under PMJDY.

Q.18. What is the concept of overdraft of Rs.5000/- in PMJDY Account

and for whom this facility is available?

Ans. Overdraft facility upto Rs.5000/- will be available to one account holder of PMJDY

per household after 6 months of satisfactory conduct of the account. To avoid

duplication Aadhaar number will also be required. If Aadhaar number is not available

then Bank will do additional due diligence and also seek declaration from the beneficiary.

Q. 19. Whether Overdraft facility can be availed in more than one

account?

Ans. Overdraft facility upto Rs.5000/- is available in only one account per household,

preferably lady of the household.

Q.20. What is Accidental Insurance Cover? Who will pay the premium ?

Ans. Accidental Insurance Cover is Rs.1.00 lac and no premium is charged to the

beneficiary -- NPCI will pay the premium. At present the premium is Rs.0.47 per Card.

Q.21. If both husband and wife who are opening accounts under PMJDY

are eligible for Accidental Insurance Cover of Rs.1.00 lac and overdraft

facility of Rs.5000/- in both the accounts separately?

Ans. Accidental Insurance cover of Rs.1.00 lac will be available to all account-holders.

However, overdraft facility upto Rs.5000/- will be available to only one person in the

family (preferably lady of the house).

Q.22. What documents are required to open an account under Pradhan

Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana?

Ans. (i) If Aadhaar Card/Aadhaar Number is available then no other documents is

required. If address has changed, then a self certification of current address is

sufficient.

(ii) If Aadhaar Card is not available, then any one of the following Officially Valid

Documents (OVD) is required: Voter ID Card, Driving License, PAN Card, Passport

& NREGA Card. If these documents also contain your address, it can serve both as

“Proof of Identity and Address”.

(iii) If a person does not have any of the “officially valid documents” mentioned

above, but it is categorized as ‘low risk’ by the banks, then he/she can open a

bank account by submitting any one of the following documents:

a) Identity Card with applicant’s photograph issued by Central/State

Government Departments, Statutory/Regulatory Authorities, Public

Sector Undertakings, Scheduled Commercial Banks and Public Financial

Institutions;

b) Letter issued by a gazette officer, with a duly attested photograph of

the person.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vide its Press Release dated 26.08.2014 has further clarified

as under:

“Those persons who do not have any of the ‘officially valid documents’ can open

“Small Accounts” with banks. A “Small Account” can be opened on the basis of a selfattested

photograph and putting his/her signatures or thumb print in the presence of an

officials of the bank. Such accounts have limitations regarding the aggregate credits (not

more than Rupees one lac in a year), aggregate withdrawals (nor more than Rupees ten

thousand in a month) and balance in the accounts (not more than Rupees fifty thousand

at any point of time). These accounts would be valid normally for a period of twelve

months. Thereafter, such accounts would be allowed to continue for a further period of

twelve more months, if the account-holder provides a document showing that he/she has

applied for any of the Officially Valid Document, within 12 months of opening the small

account.

Q.23. If the present address is different than that of printed on

Aadhaar Card, can the account still be opened under Pradhan Mantri

Jan-Dhan Yojana on the basis of Aadhaar Card?

Ans. If address has changed, then a self certification of current address is sufficient.

Q.24. What is meant by Insurance cover of Rs.30,000/- announced by

Prime Minister in his speech of 28.08.2014?

Ans. Modalities of this Scheme announced by the Prime Minister on 28.08.2014 are

being worked out expeditiously and will be disseminated to General Public very soon.

Q.25. Whether Cheque Book will be issued in accounts opened under

PMJDY?

Ans. In PMJDY accounts are being opened with Zero balance. However, if the accountholder

wishes to get cheque book, he/she will have to fulfill minimum balance criteria, if

any, of the bank.

Q.26. What are the direct / special benefits attached to PMJDY?

Ans. Special benefits attached to the scheme are:

i. Interest on deposit.

ii. Accidental insurance cover of Rs.1.00 lac

iii. No minimum balance required. However, for withdrawal of money from any

ATM with Rupay Card, some balance is advised to be kept in account.

iv. Life insurance cover of Rs.30,000/-

v. Easy Transfer of money across India

vi. Beneficiaries of Government Schemes will get Direct Benefit Transfer in

these accounts.

vii. After satisfactory operation of the account for 6 months, an overdraft

facility will be permitted

viii. Access to Pension, insurance products.

Q.27. I have no official valid document for opening an account. Can I

still open an account with bank?

Ans. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vide its Press Release dated 26.08.2014 has clarified

as under:

“Those persons who do not have any of the ‘officially valid documents’ can open

“Small Accounts” with banks. A “Small Account” can be opened on the basis of a selfattested

photograph and putting his/her signatures or thumb print in the presence of an

officials of the bank. Such accounts have limitations regarding the aggregate credits (not

more than Rupees one lac in a year), aggregate withdrawals (nor more than Rupees ten

thousand in a month) and balance in the accounts (not more than Rupees fifty thousand

at any point of time). These accounts would be valid normally for a period of twelve

months. Thereafter, such accounts would be allowed to continue for a further period of

twelve more months, if the account-holder provides a document showing that he/she has

applied for any of the Officially Valid Document, within 12 months of opening the small

account.

Q.28. How much interest savings would earn in PMJDY Account?

Ans. Interest rate applicable for Saving Bank Accounts (presently @ 4 % in most of the

banks) shall be admissible to accounts opened under PMJDY Scheme.

Q.29. How much interest will be charged by bank on overdraft facility

in PMJDY?

Ans. Base Rate + 2 % or 12 %, whichever is lower. At present it will be 12 %.

Q.30. Whether banks will be organizing Account Opening Camps in

future also?

Ans. Yes. Nationalised banks have been asked to organize camps on all Saturdays from

8.00 AM to 8.00 PM. Banks can hold additional camps on other days also.

Q.31. If I have required papers for issuance of Aadhaar Card, can I get

Aadhaar Card in Bank and open my account under PMJDY

simultaneously?

Ans. Aadhaar Registration may be got done in Camps organized by UIDAI. In account

opening camps also, endeavour is to make Aadhaar Registration Counter available.

Q.32. Do you have to pay some fee to open a Bank account under

PMJDY?

Ans. No. There is absolutely no charge / fee for opening an account under PMJDY.

Q.33. Can a minor (below 18 years of age) can open an account under

PMJDY?

Ans. A minor of above the age of 10 years can open his / her Savings Bank account in

any bank.

Q.34. Who is Business Correspondent Agent / Bank Mitr and what is

their role in PMJDY?

Ans. Business Correspondent Agents (Bank Mitr) are retail agents engaged by banks for

providing banking services at locations where opening of a brick and mortar branch /

ATM is not viable. Scope of activities of Business Correspondents / Bank Mitr are as

under:

a) Creating Awareness about savings and other products and education and advice on

managing money and debt counseling.

b) Identification of potential customers.

c) Collection and preliminary processing of various forms for deposits including

verification of primary information /data.

d) Filling of applications / account opening forms

e) Collection and payment of small value deposits and withdrawals.

f) Receipt and delivery of small value remittances / other payment instructions.

g) Furnishing of mini account statements and other account information.

h) Any other service on behalf of the Bank, duly authorized by the appropriate

authority etc.

Q.35. How Bank Mitr helps us to use Banking Services ?

Ans. Bank Mitr represent the bank concerned and enable a bank to expand its outreach

and offer limited range of banking services at low cost, particularly where setting up a

brick and mortar branch is not viable. Bank Mitr, as agent of the Bank, thus are an

integral part of the business strategy for achieving greater financial inclusion.

Q.36. Who can be Bank Mitr ?

Ans. Banks have been permitted to engage individuals / entities as Business

Correspondent (Bank Mitr) like (i) Retired Bank Employees (ii) Retired Teachers (iii)

Retired Govt. Employees (iv) Ex-Servicemen (v) Individual owners of kirana / medical/ fair

price shops, individual Public Call Office (PCO) operators, Agents of Small Savings

Scheme of Government of India / Insurance Companies, ‘for profit’ companies registered

under the Indian Companies Act. Since 24.06.2014, RBI has permitted Non Deposit

taking NBFCs as BCs in addition to above.

Q.37. Can I get my PMJDY account transferred to other City / State

upon my transfer posting to other States?

Ans. All banks participating in PMJDY are on CBS (Core Banking Solution) platform

and the account can easily be transferred to any branch of the bank in any city/town as

per the request of the account-holder.

Q.38. What is USSD based transaction and how to use it ?

Ans. USSD is abbreviated form of “Unstructured Supplementary Service Data”. USSD

based Mobile Banking offers basic Banking facilities like Money Transfer, Bill Payments,

Balance Enquiries, Merchant Payments etc. on a simple GSM based Mobile Phone,

without the need to download application on a Phone as required at present in the

Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) based Mobile Banking. Transactions can be performed

on basic phone handsets. The user needs to approach his bank and get his mobile

number registered. The bank will issue an MPIN (Mobile PIN) to the user. The user

thereafter needs to dial *99# and the menu for using USSD opens. Thereafter customer

has to follow selections on the menu to complete the transaction. Charges as applicable

by the Telecom Operator (not more than Rs.1.50 per transaction as mandated by TRAI)

may be applicable.