Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana was launched by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 28 August 2014. What is the main objective of the scheme?

The correct answer is C. PMJDY was designed for universal access to banking: every household should have a basic bank account, with zero-balance savings, a RuPay debit card, an overdraft facility after a period of satisfactory operation, and accident insurance cover. The scheme is built on the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile linkage, which also makes Direct Benefit Transfer possible.

• A is wrong. Cheaper housing loans fall under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (launched 2015), not PMJDY.
• B is wrong. Promotion of women's Self Help Groups is the job of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM). SHG-bank linkage is a side activity, not the main objective.
• D is wrong. Targeted support for marginalised communities comes through bodies such as NSFDC and SC/ST sub-plan schemes. PMJDY is open to all, not a community-specific benefit.

Concept: financial inclusion, meaning access to affordable formal financial services. It is a core GS-III topic (inclusive growth, banking reforms, DBT) and a useful Mains example on leakages and direct transfers. Note that the account count has since crossed 50 crore, so any current-figure question should be checked against the latest data.

Trap: aspirants often mix PMJDY with credit or livelihood schemes. The 'Jan Dhan' brand is about accounts and inclusion, not loans.