One in Four Jan Dhan Accounts Inactive, 5.72 Crore Sit Empty

India's ambitious financial inclusion program shows striking gaps despite massive enrollment numbers. According to newly revealed RTI data, one out of every four accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has gone dormant, while nearly 5.72 crore accounts show absolutely zero balance.

The State of Financial Inclusion

The numbers, revealed through activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur's RTI application to the Department of Financial Services, paint a complex picture of India's banking penetration. While the scheme has successfully opened 59,03,74,907 accounts holding ₹3,15,179.90 crore collectively, the activation and usage rates tell another story.

Gender Distribution and Data Gaps

Women account holders outnumber men significantly in the scheme, with 32.89 crore accounts held by women and transgender individuals compared to 26.14 crore by men. However, the Centre admits it doesn't maintain gender-wise breakdowns of account balances or inactive accounts—a missing piece that could reveal deeper usage patterns.

Regional Disparities Emerge

Uttar Pradesh demonstrates both the scheme's reach and its challenges most dramatically. The state leads with 10.51 crore total accounts—but also tops the charts with 95.92 lakh zero-balance accounts and 3.23 crore inoperative ones. Bihar follows with 7.01 crore accounts and similar activation struggles.

The numbers suggest that while account opening has been successful, converting them into actively used financial tools remains work in progress. Launched in 2014 as a national mission for financial inclusion, PMJDY aimed to bring banking to every household. These latest figures show how much ground still needs to be covered.