Scheme Primer
Women Empowerment
ngo-practitioners
Jan Suraksha Schemes — Rs. 25,000 Crore in Claims Paid to India's Most Vulnerable in 11 Years
Last verified: May 2026 · 8 min read · JaBaSu Knowledge Commons
At a Glance
| Parameter |
PMJJBY |
PMSBY |
APY |
| Full Name |
PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana |
PM Suraksha Bima Yojana |
Atal Pension Yojana |
| Type |
Life Insurance |
Accident Insurance |
Pension |
| Launched |
9 May 2015 |
9 May 2015 |
9 May 2015 |
| Annual Premium |
Rs. 436/year (less than Rs. 1.20/day) |
Rs. 20/year (less than Rs. 2/month) |
Varies by age and pension chosen |
| Coverage |
Rs. 2 lakh on death (any cause) |
Rs. 2 lakh (accidental death/total disability); Rs. 1 lakh (partial disability) |
Rs. 1,000–5,000/month pension after age 60 |
| Eligibility |
18–50 years; bank account holder |
18–70 years; bank account holder |
18–40 years; bank account holder |
| Enrolments (April 2026) |
27.43 crore |
58 crore+ |
9 crore+ |
| Claims paid |
Rs. 21,512 crore to 10.75 lakh families |
Rs. 3,660 crore to 1.84 lakh families |
Pension disbursements ongoing |
| Combined (11 years) |
Total social security delivered: Rs. 25,000+ crore |
|
|
| Portal |
jansuraksha.gov.in |
jansuraksha.gov.in |
npscra.nsdl.co.in (APY) |
What Are They?
The three Jan Suraksha schemes — launched simultaneously on 9 May 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kolkata — form India's social security architecture for the unorganised sector. They complete the PMJDY account: where PMJDY opens the bank account, the Jan Suraksha schemes make that account a social security instrument.
The vision encoded in these three schemes is specific: "even the poorest of the poor can have a life insurance cover for Rs. 2 lakh at less than Re. 1 a day, and an accident insurance of Rs. 2 lakh at less than Re. 1 a month." In May 2026, on their 11th anniversary, the Finance Minister confirmed that over Rs. 25,000 crore has been paid in claims across the three schemes — reaching 10.75 lakh families through PMJJBY life insurance claims and 1.84 lakh families through PMSBY accident insurance.
For NGOs: these three schemes are the most impactful single intervention available for economic security of the working poor — because they protect families from the two most common pathways into catastrophic poverty: the death of a working member, and a disabling accident.
Scheme 1 — PMJJBY: Life Insurance at Rs. 1.20 per Day
What it is: A one-year renewable life insurance policy providing Rs. 2 lakh to the nominee upon the account holder's death from any cause — illness, accident, natural death, or any other reason. No exclusions on cause of death (except suicide within the first 30 days of enrolment).
Premium: Rs. 436 per year (as of 2024-25), auto-debited from the linked bank account in May each year. Banks provide this coverage through LIC and other life insurance companies.
Eligibility: Bank account holder aged 18-50 years. People who enrol before age 50 can continue coverage until age 55.
How to enrol: At any bank branch or through the Bank Mitra, or online at jansuraksha.gov.in. The account holder authorises auto-debit of the premium and nominates a beneficiary.
11-year milestone (as of April 2026): 27.43 crore enrolments. Rs. 21,512.50 crore paid for 10,75,625 claims. 12.72 crore women enrolled. 8.09 crore PMJDY account holders enrolled.
Why it matters for Odisha's working poor: A tribal agricultural labourer who earns Rs. 250/day contributes Rs. 436/year — 1.7 days' wages — and insures his family for Rs. 2 lakh. If he dies, his widow doesn't face asset sale or debt bondage. PMJJBY is the most efficient economic protection available for this household.
Scheme 2 — PMSBY: Accident Insurance at Rs. 20 per Year
What it is: A one-year renewable personal accident insurance providing:
- Rs. 2 lakh for accidental death or total permanent disability (loss of both eyes, both hands, both feet, or one eye and one hand/foot)
- Rs. 1 lakh for partial permanent disability (loss of one eye or one hand/foot)
Premium: Rs. 20 per year — auto-debited from the linked bank account.
Eligibility: Bank account holder aged 18-70 years. No income criterion. No medical examination.
How to enrol: Same as PMJJBY — at bank branch, Bank Mitra, or online.
11-year milestone (as of May 2026): 58 crore+ enrolments (more enrolled than the entire adult population of many countries). Rs. 3,660+ crore paid to 1.84 lakh families.
The most important thing about PMSBY: At Rs. 20/year — less than the cost of a single bus ticket — PMSBY is the most affordable insurance product in human history. Yet millions of workers in Odisha's construction sites, mines, fisheries, and agricultural operations — the highest-risk occupations — are not enrolled. A construction worker who falls from scaffolding or a fisherman who loses a limb at sea receives nothing without PMSBY. An NGO that enrols a community of 100 workers in PMSBY spends five minutes and costs the workers Rs. 2,000 total — and creates Rs. 2 lakh in accident protection for each.
Scheme 3 — APY: Guaranteed Pension After 60
What it is: A pension scheme specifically for workers in the unorganised sector — the first government programme that guarantees a fixed monthly pension amount after age 60 to people who have never had access to pension systems.
Pension amounts and contributions:
| Monthly Pension at 60 |
Contribution if joining at 18 |
Contribution if joining at 30 |
Contribution if joining at 40 |
| Rs. 1,000/month |
Rs. 42/month |
Rs. 116/month |
Rs. 291/month |
| Rs. 2,000/month |
Rs. 84/month |
Rs. 231/month |
Rs. 582/month |
| Rs. 3,000/month |
Rs. 126/month |
Rs. 347/month |
Rs. 873/month |
| Rs. 4,000/month |
Rs. 168/month |
Rs. 462/month |
Rs. 1,164/month |
| Rs. 5,000/month |
Rs. 210/month |
Rs. 577/month |
Rs. 1,454/month |
All contributions are auto-debited monthly from the linked bank account.
Government co-contribution (ended for new subscribers after 2015-16): For accounts opened in the first year of the scheme, the government co-contributed 50% of the subscriber's contribution for 5 years. This benefit is no longer available for new subscribers.
Eligibility: Any Indian citizen aged 18-40 years with a bank account. Workers in the unorganised sector are the primary target. Income taxpayers are NOT eligible (since October 2022).
Enrolments (May 2026): 9 crore+ subscribers.
Spouse pension: On the subscriber's death, the spouse receives the same pension amount for life. On both deaths, the accumulated corpus is returned to the nominee.
The Power of Bundling All Three with a PMJDY Account
For a 30-year-old woman in rural Odisha, the full PMJDY + Jan Suraksha bundle costs:
- PMJJBY: Rs. 436/year (life insurance Rs. 2 lakh)
- PMSBY: Rs. 20/year (accident insurance Rs. 2 lakh)
- APY: Rs. 231/month = Rs. 2,772/year (for Rs. 2,000/month pension after 60)
Total annual cost: Rs. 3,228 — roughly 13 days of agricultural wages at Odisha's 2025 VB-G RAM G rate of Rs. 247/day.
In return: Rs. 2 lakh life protection + Rs. 2 lakh accident protection + Rs. 2,000/month guaranteed pension from age 60. This package — unavailable to the unorganised sector for the entire history of independent India before 2014-15 — is now accessible to any Odisha woman with a bank account and a Jan Seva Kendra nearby.
What NGOs Need to Know — the Practical Reality
1
Auto-debit failure is the primary lapse trigger. PMJJBY and PMSBY coverage lapses if the annual premium auto-debit fails — because the account has insufficient balance when the bank attempts the debit in May each year. A single year's lapse means the policy must be renewed with a health declaration (for PMJJBY) or starts fresh. NGOs can prevent lapses by reminding communities to maintain at least Rs. 456 in their accounts before May each year.
2
The nominee registration is often missing. PMJJBY's Rs. 2 lakh claim is paid to the nominee. Many accounts were opened without a nominee, or with a nominee who is not traceable at death. The claim process then becomes complex and delayed. NGOs can facilitate nominee registration at Bank Mitra visits — a five-minute addition to any banking camp.
3
APY awareness is lowest among the workers who need it most. The workers who will benefit most from APY — construction workers in their 20s and 30s, agricultural labourers, domestic workers — are the least aware of its existence. An Aadhaar-linked bank account and Rs. 42/month is all that is needed to secure Rs. 1,000/month after age 60. NGOs working with young informal sector workers can specifically promote APY as a retirement product.
4
PMSBY claim settlement at district level requires persistence. Accident insurance claims under PMSBY are processed by the bank and then settled by the insurance company. In cases of disability — particularly partial disability — there are documented delays in claim assessment. NGOs can support families through the claims process: obtaining the medical certificate in the required format, following up with the bank's insurance desk, and escalating stalled claims to the district insurance ombudsman.
5
The saturation campaign (July-September 2025) opened 2.6 crore new Jan Suraksha enrolments. The Finance Ministry's saturation campaign created a massive enrolment drive — 22.65 lakh enrolments in the first month (July 2025) alone. NGOs can partner with Bank Mitras and local bank branches for continued post-campaign enrolments in communities not yet covered.
How JaBaSu Helps NGOs Connect Their Communities
Bundled enrolment camps
JaBaSu facilitates camps where PMJDY account opening, PMJJBY enrolment, PMSBY enrolment, and APY enrolment are all completed simultaneously — bundling the full social security package into a single community event.
Pre-May balance advisory
JaBaSu provides partner NGO communities with a pre-May reminder system (through ASHA networks, mission shakti SHG meeting agendas, or direct SMS where available) to maintain premium balances before auto-debit — preventing coverage lapses.
Claim facilitation
For families in partner NGO communities where a PMJJBY or PMSBY claim event has occurred, JaBaSu helps navigate the claim process — obtaining the correct medical or death certificate format, submitting to the correct bank desk, and following up through formal channels.
Lead District Manager interface
JaBaSu's relationships with Lead District Managers (LDMs) enable partner NGOs to escalate systemic claim delays or Bank Mitra non-performance to the coordinating bank authority.