Jan Suraksha Schemes Complete 11 Years, Expanding India’s Low-Cost Insurance and Pension Net

India’s three flagship Jan Suraksha schemes — Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana — have completed 11 years of providing affordable social security cover to citizens, especially the poor, vulnerable and workers in the unorganised sector. The schemes were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, 2015, with the objective of widening access to life insurance, accident insurance and pension support at a low cost.

According to the Ministry of Finance, cumulative enrolments under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana have crossed 27.43 crore as of April 29, 2026. The scheme has paid ₹21,512.50 crore for 10,75,625 claims, making it one of the largest low-cost life insurance platforms in the country. PMJJBY provides life insurance cover of ₹2 lakh in case of death due to any reason, at an annual premium of ₹436.

The Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana has recorded even wider enrolment, with cumulative enrolments crossing 58.09 crore as of April 29, 2026. Under the scheme, ₹3,667.52 crore has been paid for 1,84,662 claims. PMSBY provides accidental death and disability cover of up to ₹2 lakh at an annual premium of just ₹20, making it one of the most affordable accident insurance schemes in India.

The Atal Pension Yojana has also seen strong uptake, with more than 9.04 crore individuals enrolled as of April 30, 2026. The scheme is aimed mainly at workers in the unorganised sector and provides a guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000, ₹2,000, ₹3,000, ₹4,000 or ₹5,000 after the age of 60, depending on the subscriber’s contribution.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Jan Suraksha schemes were launched to provide low-cost insurance and pension benefits to citizens. She noted that PMJJBY, PMSBY and APY have achieved enrolments of over 27 crore, 58 crore and 9 crore respectively, showing the scale at which financial protection has been extended across the country.

The schemes are especially important because they provide basic financial protection to households that may not otherwise have access to formal insurance or retirement planning. For many low-income families, a death, accident or loss of earning capacity can push the household into serious financial distress. Low-premium insurance schemes help reduce this vulnerability by providing a safety net at a price that ordinary citizens can afford.

Women have also emerged as major beneficiaries of the Jan Suraksha schemes. PMJJBY has recorded 12.72 crore female enrolments, while PMSBY has recorded 27.45 crore female enrolments. Under Atal Pension Yojana, women constitute around 49% of total enrolments. This points to the growing role of social-security schemes in strengthening financial inclusion among women.

The link with Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts has further strengthened the reach of these schemes. PMJJBY has recorded 8.09 crore enrolments from PMJDY account holders, while PMSBY has recorded 19.30 crore enrolments from PMJDY account holders. This shows how India’s financial inclusion architecture — bank accounts, direct benefit systems, insurance and pensions — is increasingly working as an integrated safety net.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the objective of the schemes is to provide insurance coverage and pension support to the poorest of the poor. He also highlighted the role of digitisation and simplified enrolment, including the Jan Suraksha Portal, which allows citizens to enrol without visiting bank branches or post offices. Digitisation of the claims process has also helped ensure faster settlement for bereaved families.

The 11-year journey of the Jan Suraksha schemes shows how low-cost, mass-scale social security can support India’s broader financial inclusion mission. By combining bank account access, auto-debit premium collection, insurance cover and pension support, these schemes have helped bring millions of ordinary citizens into the formal protection system.

For India, the importance of these schemes goes beyond enrolment numbers. They represent a major shift from welfare as one-time assistance to welfare as long-term financial resilience. As more citizens join insurance and pension systems, the country’s social-security base becomes wider, deeper and more inclusive.

Sources:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2259251&reg=3&lang=1