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DFS Reviews Financial Inclusion Schemes, Plans FI Saturation Drive

DFS Secretary Sanjay Lohiya reviewed financial inclusion schemes with public and private banks and sought full support for the FI saturation campaign from 21 October.

By Published · 2 min read
DFS Reviews Financial Inclusion Schemes, Plans FI Saturation Drive

Why in News

On 6 October 2026 the Department of Financial Services held a review meeting in New Delhi on the progress of financial inclusion schemes with public and private sector banks, and set the dates of the coming FI saturation campaign.

Sanjay Lohiya, Secretary in the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance, chaired a review meeting in New Delhi with the heads of all Public Sector Banks and the Executive Directors of major Private Sector Banks. Senior officers of the department also sat in on the review.

Which schemes were reviewed

The meeting went scheme by scheme through the flagship financial inclusion programmes of the Centre, ten of them in all.

SchemeShort form
Jan Dhan YojanaPMJDY
Jeevan Jyoti Bima YojanaPMJJBY
Suraksha Bima YojanaPMSBY
Atal Pension YojanaAPY
Mudra YojanaPMMY
Stand Up India-
Street Vendor Atma Nirbhar NidhiPM SVANidhi
PM Vishwakarma-
PM Surya Ghar-
Kisan Credit CardKCC

Two more things were reviewed: how far bank branches of brick and mortar have spread, and whether Business Correspondents have been posted in villages that still have no banking outlet of any kind.

Digital lending gets the push

The Secretary told banks that although financial inclusion has deepened a great deal through these schemes, they must widen their digital outreach and move towards end-to-end digital processing of loans. Two channels for working capital were explained at the meeting: credit lines on UPI and credit cards for micro-enterprises (CCME). Private banks were urged to raise their share of the work in the inclusion schemes, where public banks have so far carried the larger load.

Insurance claims and the Jan Suraksha portal

Banks were directed to spread awareness of claim eligibility under the Jansuraksha insurance schemes, so that a nominee actually receives the money after a beneficiary dies, and to handle claim-related grievances with special care. Every new enrolment under PMJJBY and PMSBY is to be routed through the Jan Suraksha portal, which is being integrated with all banks and insurers to improve data quality and ease of operation. Ways of raising the persistency ratio of the Atal Pension Yojana were also discussed.

The saturation campaign ahead

ItemDetail
CampaignFI saturation campaign
Runs from21 October 2026
Runs till31 December 2026
FocusMarginalised sections and their banking needs

Mr Lohiya asked every bank to take part wholeheartedly in the saturation campaign and to give greater thrust to serving the weaker sections of society.

Important Facts

MeetingReview of financial inclusion schemes, New Delhi
Chaired bySanjay Lohiya, Secretary, Department of Financial Services
MinistryMinistry of Finance
Attended byHeads of all Public Sector Banks and Executive Directors of major Private Sector Banks
Schemes reviewedPMJDY, PMJJBY, PMSBY, APY, PMMY, Stand Up India, PM SVANidhi, PM Vishwakarma, PM Surya Ghar, KCC
FI saturation campaign21 October 2026 to 31 December 2026
Enrolment portalJan Suraksha portal, for new PMJJBY and PMSBY beneficiaries
Credit channels explainedCredit lines on UPI; credit cards for micro-enterprises (CCME)

Exam Point of View

Note the chair of the meeting and his designation, the list of financial inclusion schemes with their short forms, the dates of the FI saturation campaign, the portal for PMJJBY and PMSBY enrolments, the two working capital channels named (credit lines on UPI and CCME) and the scheme whose persistency ratio was discussed.

Practice Questions

Q1.Banking & FinanceEasy

Who chaired the review meeting on the progress of financial inclusion schemes with public and private sector banks?

  1. A.The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
  2. B.The Secretary, Department of Financial Services
  3. C.The Union Finance Minister
  4. D.The Chairman of the State Bank of India
Show answer

Correct answer: B. The Secretary, Department of Financial Services

Explanation

The correct answer is the Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Sanjay Lohiya, who took the review in New Delhi with the heads of all public sector banks and the Executive Directors of major private sector banks, assisted by senior officers of his department. Option A is wrong because the central bank was not the convener of this particular review, which was held by the Department of Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance. Option C is wrong because the meeting was at the level of the Secretary and not of the Minister. Option D is wrong because the heads of banks were the participants at this review rather than its chair. Aspirants should remember that financial inclusion schemes such as Jan Dhan, Jansuraksha and Mudra are administered by this department.

Q2.Banking & FinanceMedium

What are the dates of the FI saturation campaign that banks were asked to join?

  1. A.1 October to 31 December 2026
  2. B.21 October to 31 December 2026
  3. C.21 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
  4. D.1 November to 31 December 2026
Show answer

Correct answer: B. 21 October to 31 December 2026

Explanation

The correct answer is 21 October to 31 December 2026. The Secretary of the Department of Financial Services urged banks to take part wholeheartedly in the saturation drive running between those two dates and to give greater thrust to serving the weaker sections of society and meeting their banking needs. Option A is wrong on the start date, which falls later in the month and not on the first. Option C stretches the campaign to the close of the financial year, which is not what was announced. Option D again moves the start to the following month. In the examination, campaigns of this kind are almost always tested on their exact opening and closing dates, so both ends of the window are worth writing down.

Q3.Banking & FinanceMedium

New beneficiaries of PMJJBY and PMSBY are to be enrolled through which portal?

  1. A.Jan Dhan Darshak portal
  2. B.Udyam Registration portal
  3. C.Jan Suraksha portal
  4. D.PM SVANidhi portal
Show answer

Correct answer: C. Jan Suraksha portal

Explanation

The correct answer is the Jan Suraksha portal. Banks were directed to route every new enrolment under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana through it, because the portal is being linked with all banks and insurers, which should improve the quality of data and the ease of day-to-day operation. Option A is wrong because that platform is about locating banking touchpoints rather than enrolling insurance beneficiaries. Option B is wrong because enterprise registration has nothing to do with these two insurance schemes. Option D is wrong because the street vendors credit scheme is a separate programme, though it too was reviewed at the same meeting along with Mudra, Stand Up India, PM Vishwakarma and the Kisan Credit Card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who chaired the review meeting on financial inclusion schemes with banks?

Sanjay Lohiya, Secretary of the Department of Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance, chaired it in New Delhi with the heads of all public sector banks and Executive Directors of major private sector banks.

When will the FI saturation campaign be held?

From 21 October 2026 to 31 December 2026. Banks have been asked to take part wholeheartedly and to focus on the banking needs of marginalised sections of society.

Through which portal must new PMJJBY and PMSBY beneficiaries be enrolled?

The Jan Suraksha portal. It is being integrated with all banks and insurers so that data quality and ease of operation improve.

Sources