New Delhi, Oct. 12 -- The number of inoperative accounts under the government's flagship financial inclusion scheme rose at private sector banks even as their share of total accounts declined, raising questions about whether expanded banking access is translating into sustained usage.

Private lenders had 8.95 million inoperative Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts as of 23 September 2026, up 1.06 million, or 13.43%, from a year earlier, according to government data reviewed by Mint. HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank recorded particularly sharp increases.

The proportion of inoperative accounts at private banks fell to 36% from 39% over the year, indicating that the absolute number of inactive accounts grew even as the overall...