Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) stands as a pivotal initiative in India’s quest for financial inclusion, aiming to bring the unbanked population into the institutional finance fold. This program, launched in 2014, has played a crucial role in providing banking services to the marginalized sections of society, fostering economic empowerment and poverty alleviation. The assertion that PMJDY is necessary for the financial inclusion of the poor in India is justified on several grounds. Firstly, by facilitating easy access to basic banking services such as savings accounts, insurance, and credit, PMJDY empowers individuals economically, enabling them to save, invest, and secure their financial future. Secondly, the scheme encourages a shift from informal to formal financial channels, fostering transparency and reducing dependency on exploitative informal credit sources. Lastly, the inclusion of the unbanked population promotes government welfare schemes’ effective implementation, ensuring direct benefit transfers and reducing leakages. In essence, PMJDY catalyzes socio-economic development by integrating the financially underserved into the mainstream banking system.
Tag: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Indian economy and issues related to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Decoding the Question:
- In the Intro, try to Start answer with defining financial inclusion
- In Body,
- Discuss in brief the need of PMJDY for bringing unbanked to the institutional finance fold.
- Justify with arguments in supporting financial inclusion of the poor section.
- Try to conclude the answer with suggestions.
Answer:
Financial inclusion means providing financial services such as basic bank accounts, deposit and saving facilities at very low cost to poor sections of society or to those who do not have access to the banking sector so that they can also enjoy basic banking facilities and they can be integrated with the formal banking system. Financial inclusion strives to remove the barriers that exclude people from availing benefits of financial services to participate in the economy improving their lives. It is also called inclusive finance. Various dimensions of financial inclusion are bank penetration, credit penetration, and deposit penetration for which Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is a major initiative.
PMJDY is a national mission for the comprehensive financial inclusion of all households in the country. In this direction, PMJDY has the vision to provide banking facilities to those who to date did not have any bank account.
Financial inclusion under PMJDY is needed for the following reasons:
- According to the Census 2011 out of the total population only 58.7% have access to banking services. PMJDY aims to bring to the remaining 42% population who are out of formal banking services.
- Under PMJDY people would get a basic bank account with insurance facility and additional facility of overdraft of rupees 5000. Thus, they would avail benefits offered by banks and government. This scheme is aimed to develop small saving habits, which will enhance the capital pool available for credits and loan, thereby facilitating economic development.
- Banks are now opening up Zero balance accounts and providing facilities to poor and unbanked people or sections of society. This is helping marginal sections of the society to get banking facilities.
- RuPay debit card is offered under the scheme which enables these poor sections to withdraw money when they need. RuPay debit card has inbuilt accident insurance cover of rupees 1 lakh
- Under PMJDY bank accounts can be opened with a single document (Easy KYC norm). These easy KYC norms will help uneducated people to go to banks without any hesitation.
- Use of Kisan Credit Card through Jan Dhan account shall offer loan and credit facilities at affordable cost.
The PMJDY is playing its role in a great manner by ensuring mass participation of people and providing them low cost financial services and banking facilities, still, there is need to impart financial knowledge and awareness among people about the benefits of banks and basic banking facilities. But just opening accounts would not fulfill the desired goals of financial inclusion because of idle bank accounts which only increase expenses of banks. Real benefits would go to people when people use these accounts. Demonetization helps in a great way in this direction.
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