Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Finance addressed concerns regarding the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1246 on July 28, 2025. The response provides data on APY enrollments and account closures, reasons for discontinuation, and measures to enhance scheme participation. Key data includes enrollment figures as of June 30, 2025, and return rates as of July 18, 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Enrollment and Account Closures:**
* As of June 30, 2025, there were 7,89,19,845 gross enrollments under APY across the country.
* Maharashtra had 75,51,130 enrollments.
* State-wise details of gross enrollments and the percentage of accounts closed since inception are provided in Annexure A. The grand total of closed accounts is 1,27,14,300, representing 16.11% of total enrollments.
* **Account Opening Procedure:**
* Subscribers submit a single-page registration form with savings bank account details, personal details, and pension details.
* Subscribers authorize the bank to debit their account until the age of 60.
* **Reasons for Account Discontinuation:**
* The primary reasons cited for account closure are inability to pay contributions and urgent need for funds.
* **Scheme Enhancements:**
* The Central Government co-contributed 50% or Rs. 1000 per annum to eligible subscribers for 5 years (FY 2015-16 to 2019-20) who joined before March 31, 2016, were not members of any statutory social security scheme, and were not income tax payers.
* From October 1, 2022, income tax payers are not eligible to join APY.
* **Scheme Features:**
* APY is a defined benefit scheme providing a fixed minimum pension guarantee.
* Returns since inception as of 18.07.2025 are more than 9%.
* **Activities to Increase Coverage:**
* Advertisements in print, electronic, and social media.
* Physical APY outreach programs and town hall meetings.
* Virtual capacity building programs for Banking Correspondents (BCs), bank staff, Self Help Group (SHG) members, and bank sakhis.
* Engagement with various Ministries, NCFE, NABARD, NRLM, and SRLM.
Impact Analysis:
* **Subscribers:**
* *Impact:* Benefit from a defined minimum pension, but face potential account closure due to financial constraints. Income tax payers are ineligible to join APY after 10/01/2022.
* *Action Required:* Provide reasons for closing the account.
* **Banks:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for facilitating account opening, debiting accounts, and providing subscriber information.
* *Action Required:* Implement the revised eligibility criteria and participate in awareness programs.
* **Government:**
* *Impact:* Aims to increase participation and address concerns related to assured returns and inflation through scheme modifications and outreach programs.
* *Action Required:* Continue awareness campaigns and assess the scheme's design.
* **Banking Correspondents, Field Staff of Banks, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Banksakhis of State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs):**
* *Impact:* Key in propagating APY to eligible beneficiaries and increasing scheme coverage.
* *Action Required:* Participate in virtual capacity building programs and spread awareness of APY.
Key Entities Referenced
Atal Pension Yojana APY: A Government of India pension scheme mentioned throughout the document, aimed at providing a defined pension to subscribers.
Maharashtra: A state in India specifically mentioned regarding the number of APY accounts and reasons for their discontinuation.
Ministry of Finance: The government ministry responsible for financial matters, under which the Department of Financial Services operates.
Pankaj Chaudhary: Minister of State for Finance who answered the questions related to APY in the Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the questions regarding APY were raised and answered.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NABARD: An apex development finance institution in India, involved in spreading awareness and coverage of APY.
Financial Year 201516 to 201920: Period during which the Central Government co-contributed to the APY scheme for eligible subscribers.
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority PFRDA: Source of the data regarding APY enrolments and account closures.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES
*****
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1246
ANSWERED ON MONDAY, 28 JULY, 2025/ SRAVANA 6, 1947 (SAKA)
ACCOUNTS CLOSED UNDER APY
1246. Shri Gyaneshwar Patil
Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram
Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge
Will the Minister of Finance be pleased to state:
(a) the number of accounts under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) across the country, particularly
in Maharashtra and the percentage of such accounts closed since the launch of the said Scheme
State-wise;
(b) whether such accounts have been opened without the explicit consent of the subscribers and
if so, the steps being taken to address the said issue;
(c) the reasons for discontinuation of the accounts by the subscribers other than the financial
constraints or dissatisfaction with returns, particularly in Maharashtra along with the details
thereof; and
(d) whether the Government proposes to review and modify the design of the Scheme to increase
participation and address the concerns related to assured returns and inflation?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCE
(SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)
(a) The gross enrolments under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) as on 30.06.2025 across the country
are 7,89,19,845 and in Maharashtra are 75,51,130. The State-wise details of gross enrolments under
APY and the percentage of such accounts closed since inception, is at Annexure A.
(b) Under APY, a subscriber submits request on a single-page subscriber registration form where
he/she is required to mention savings bank account details, personal details, and pension details
(pension amount and frequency of contribution) and authorize the bank to debit the bank account till
the age of 60 for making payment under APY as applicable based on age and the pension amount
selected.
(c) While closing the APY account, the subscribers are required to provide the reasons for closing the
account. Inability to pay contributions and requirement of funds urgently are major reasons cited by
subscribers for account closure.
The returns since inception as on 18.07.2025 are more than 9%.
(d) In order to enhance the participation under APY, the Central Government had co-contributed 50%
of the total contribution or Rs. 1000 per annum, whichever was lower, to each eligible subscriber, for
a period of 5 years, i.e., from Financial Year 2015-16 to 2019-20, who had joined Scheme before
31.03.2016, and who were not members of any statutory social security scheme and who were not
income tax payers.Further, the Scheme was appraised and it was decided that for better targeting of the scheme, from
01.10.2022 an income tax payer is not eligible to join APY.
APY is a defined benefit scheme and provides fixed minimum pension guarantee for the subscribers.
Various activities are undertaken for increasing coverage under APY, which inter-alia include:
i. Periodic advertisements are published in print, electronic, and social media for awareness
creation.
ii. Physical APY outreach program and townhall meetings are organised at various locations pan
India.
iii. Virtual capacity building programs for Banking Correspondents (BCs) and field staff of Banks,
Self Help Group (SHG) members, bank-sakhis of State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs)
are being organised to propagate APY to eligible beneficiaries.
iv. Engagement with various Ministries of Government of India, National Centre for Financial
Education (NCFE), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD),
National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), and SRLM to spread awareness and coverage of
APY.
**********Annexure A
Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1246 regarding “Accounts closed under APY” to be
answered on 28.07.2025
State-wise gross enrolments under APY and the percentage of such accounts closed since inception
Closed
Enrolled as on Closed to Enrolled
Name of State / UT Accounts as
30.06.2025 Ratio (%)
on 30.06.2025
Andaman & Nicobar Islands 13,933 1,398 10.03%
Andhra Pradesh 39,49,135 6,98,558 17.69%
Arunachal Pradesh 36,701 3,659 9.97%
Assam 18,91,745 2,07,314 10.96%
Bihar 69,75,567 10,26,924 14.72%
Chandigarh 77,100 13,768 17.86%
Chhattisgarh 14,96,622 1,78,936 11.96%
Delhi 9,38,915 1,68,221 17.92%
Goa 1,09,221 13,923 12.75%
Gujarat 27,95,794 4,16,947 14.91%
Haryana 17,47,733 3,56,428 20.39%
Himachal Pradesh 5,78,505 91,932 15.89%
Jammu and Kashmir 2,51,705 38,379 15.25%
Jharkhand 23,60,738 3,42,895 14.52%
Karnataka 44,63,614 5,96,066 13.35%
Kerala 15,10,171 2,12,632 14.08%
Ladakh 6,817 726 10.65%
Lakshadweep 3,224 330 10.24%
Madhya Pradesh 46,46,920 8,41,008 18.10%
Maharashtra 75,51,130 10,56,015 13.98%
Manipur 67,830 6,607 9.74%
Meghalaya 76,881 8,123 10.57%
Mizoram 30,107 3,324 11.04%
Nagaland 39,979 5,672 14.19%
Odisha 29,51,999 3,62,507 12.28%
Puducherry 1,03,708 13,624 13.14%
Punjab 22,91,996 4,84,056 21.12%
Rajasthan 41,79,142 6,46,051 15.46%
Sikkim 43,826 5,286 12.06%
Tamil Nadu 51,31,275 7,27,973 14.19%
Telangana 24,83,192 3,28,047 13.21%
Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu 41,663 4,457 10.70%
Tripura 2,92,787 25,891 8.84%
Uttar Pradesh 1,28,54,402 26,41,258 20.55%
Uttarakhand 8,47,665 1,65,895 19.57%
West Bengal 60,78,103 10,19,470 16.77%
Grand Total 7,89,19,845 1,27,14,300 16.11%
Source: PFRDA