Jan Dhan Yojana
National financial-inclusion mission providing basic bank accounts, credit, insurance and pension access to the unbanked.
Verified references:Wikipedia
On UPSC.wiki
Current affairsUPI MDR Policy Clarification 2026: P2P Transactions Remain Free; 0.4% MDR on Select Merchant Payments Above ₹2,000The Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) clarified on September 15, 2026, that all person-to-person (P2P) UPI transactions will remain completely free. A Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) of 0.4% — capped at ₹300 — will now apply on select person-to-merchant (P2M) UPI payments above ₹2,000. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is implementing the change to make the zero-MDR model financially sustainable for payment ecosystem participants. Current affairsRBI Proposes On-Tap Licensing for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs): Ending a 22-Year Pause, Tier Framework, and Banking Sector SignificanceThe Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is proposing to resume licensing of Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) after a 22-year pause — licensing was stopped in 2004 following the failures of the 1993–2001 liberalisation era. RBI issued a Discussion Paper in January 2026 and Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced in August 2026 that draft guidelines would be issued shortly for public consultation. The on-tap model means applications will be accepted on a continuous rolling basis once eligibility criteria are met, rather than in periodic windows. Current affairsG20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, Asheville 2026: Debt Restructuring, Digital Assets, Cross-Border Payments, and India's Priorities Under the US PresidencyG20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors met at Asheville, North Carolina, USA on 31 August – 1 September 2026 under the 2026 US G20 Presidency. India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated, with key agenda items spanning debt transparency, global imbalances, digital asset regulation, cross-border payments reform, and private-sector-led growth — each with significant implications for India's financial diplomacy and economy. Current affairsPM Jan Dhan Yojana Turns 12: 59.09 Crore Accounts, ₹3.17 Lakh Crore Deposits — India's Financial Inclusion TransformationThe Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), launched on 28 August 2014, completed 12 years on 28 August 2026 with 59.09 crore active accounts, ₹3.17 lakh crore in deposits, and 78% accounts in rural/semi-urban areas — marking India's most transformative financial inclusion programme that has brought banking access to 55 crore previously unbanked citizens. Current affairsUPI Completes 10 Years: From 21 Banks in 2016 to the World's Largest Real-Time Payments PlatformThe Unified Payments Interface (UPI) completes ten years in August 2026, marking its evolution from a pilot with 21 banks in April 2016 to the world's largest real-time payments platform — processing 2,366 crore transactions worth ₹29+ lakh crore per month, accounting for 85% of India's digital payments and approximately 49% of global real-time transactions, with active acceptance in 9 countries. Current affairsCensus 2027: 40 Questions, First Caste Count Since 1931, and NPR Link — Complete UPSC GuideIndia's 16th Census, scheduled for 2027, was formally notified by Registrar General Mritunjay Kumar Narayan. Its questionnaire carries 40 questions — 14 new or modified from 2011 — including individual caste (jati) enumeration for the first time since 1931, linkage to Aadhaar and NPR, and a first-ever self-enumeration portal in 16 languages. The House Listing phase began April 1, 2026; Population Enumeration is slated for February 2027. Current affairsPSB Confluence 2026: High-Powered Banking Reforms Committee for Viksit Bharat — Deposit Mobilisation, Youth Banking, and GCC StrategyThe Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, hosted the PSB Confluence 2026 in New Delhi on August 17–18, bringing together 125 senior leaders of Public Sector Banks and Public Financial Institutions. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called for actionable banking reforms under seven themes to feed into a proposed High-Powered Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat. Current affairsDelhi Lakshmi Yojana 2026: ₹2,500 Monthly Cash Transfer for Women and the Unconditional Cash Transfer Policy DebateThe Delhi Government approved the Lakshmi Yojana on 28 July 2026, providing ₹2,500 per month to women aged 21–60 from households with annual income up to ₹2.5 lakh. With a budget of ₹5,110 crore in 2026-27, the scheme is expected to benefit over 17 lakh women. It has reignited India's national debate on the fiscal sustainability, design, and empowerment effectiveness of Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) schemes for women. Current affairsIndia's 80th Independence Day 2026: Viksit Bharat@2047, Atmanirbhar Defence and the 80th Freedom Anniversary on August 15India celebrates its 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026, marking eight decades of freedom from British colonial rule. The Prime Minister will hoist the national flag at the Red Fort, New Delhi, delivering an address to be translated in real time into 22+ Indian languages via the AI-powered Digital India Bhashini tool — reflecting India's Viksit Bharat@2047 development vision. Current affairsUPI Hits Record 23.66 Billion Transactions in July 2026 — ₹29.88 Lakh Crore in ValueIndia's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processed a record 23.66 billion transactions worth ₹29.88 lakh crore in July 2026, according to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This surpassed the previous monthly volume record of 23.20 billion set in May 2026. Transaction volume grew 22% year-on-year and 4.1% month-on-month, without any major festival or quarter-end activity to drive the surge.
In previous-year questions
- Mission Samriddh Gaon's pilot is being implemented in Budni block (Sehore district) and Khategaon block (Dewas district) — both in Madhya Pradesh. The mission relies on which of the following Self-Help Group (SHG) programmes as the primary vehicle for women's economic empowerment?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) completed 12 years in August 2026, having been launched on 28 August 2014. As of August 19, 2026, the average deposit per PMJDY account stood at ₹5,356 — approximately how many times higher than in 2014?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), one account per household is eligible for an overdraft (OD) facility of up to ₹10,000. This OD is preferably given to accounts operated by women. What is the minimum account activity period required before a PMJDY account becomes eligible for this overdraft?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) improved from 53.9 in 2018 to 67.0 in 2026. This index is computed annually by the Reserve Bank of India and captures three dimensions. Which of the following correctly lists these three dimensions?UPSC · Current Affairs
- As of August 2026, what percentage of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts are held in rural and semi-urban areas, reflecting the scheme's reach into unbanked hinterlands?UPSC · Current Affairs