India’s Ministry of Finance plans a financial inclusion campaign covering 270,000 gram panchayats and urban local bodies from Oct. 21 through Dec. 31, aiming to widen access to banking, insurance and pensions.
The Department of Financial Services (DFS) said banks will conduct camps during the drive. Gram panchayats are village councils; the 270,000 figure covers them and urban local bodies combined. The ministry has not specified how many camps banks will hold.
Banks will open Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts, part of India’s program to bring underserved households into formal banking. Eligible visitors can also enroll in Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) life insurance, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) accident insurance and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
Subscribers bear the cost of the two insurance plans. DFS lists a full annual premium of ₹436 for PMJJBY, with lower prorated rates for some people who first enroll during a policy year. PMSBY costs ₹20 a year. Both premiums are debited from subscribers’ accounts with their consent.
For existing customers, the camps will check identity records, help obtain pending C-KYC IDs and update nominations for savings accounts and lockers. Banks will also link Aadhaar details for PMJJBY and PMSBY. Information sessions will address digital fraud and unclaimed financial assets.
The drive includes farm services. Banks will seek Kisan Credit Card applications from eligible PM-Kisan beneficiaries and offer enrollment in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna crop insurance ahead of the Rabi season.
In a comparable campaign last year, the Ministry of Finance reported 267,345 camps, 11.1 million new PMJDY accounts and 51.9 million KYC re-verifications as of Oct. 31, 2025. The ministry has announced no numerical enrollment target for this year’s drive. State administrations, banks and DFS will monitor the campaign, which is scheduled to end Dec. 31.
