Jan Dhan’s Inactivity Puzzle: One in Four Accounts Inoperative, 5.72 Crore Sit At Zero Balance

New Delhi: More than one in four accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) are currently classified as inoperative, while 5.72 crore accounts have zero balance, according to government data obtained through an RTI application.

As of August 12, 2026, India had 59.04 crore Jan Dhan accounts, holding a combined balance of Rs 3.15 lakh crore.

Of these, 15.37 crore accounts, or around 26% of the total, were inoperative. Separately, 5.72 crore accounts had zero balance.

The Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance disclosed the figures in response to an RTI application filed by activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur.

Women Hold Majority of Jan Dhan Accounts

Women, including transgender account holders, accounted for 32.89 crore PMJDY accounts, compared with 26.14 crore accounts held by men.

The government said it does not centrally maintain gender-wise data on balances or the number of zero-balance and inoperative accounts.

Uttar Pradesh Tops the List

Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of zero-balance Jan Dhan accounts at 95.92 lakh, followed by Bihar at 62.35 lakh.

UP also had the most inoperative accounts at 3.23 crore, followed by Bihar at 1.59 crore and Madhya Pradesh at 1.35 crore.

The state had India's largest Jan Dhan account base at 10.51 crore, followed by Bihar with 7.01 crore and West Bengal with 5.73 crore.

What Is an Inoperative Account?

An inoperative account does not necessarily mean that funds have been lost. It generally indicates an absence of qualifying customer-initiated transactions for a specified period and can be reactivated through the bank's prescribed process.

Importantly, zero-balance and inoperative accounts are different categories and should not be added together to calculate inactive accounts.

Launched in August 2014, PMJDY aims to expand financial inclusion by providing access to banking services, direct benefit transfers and social security schemes.