AICTE-Margdarshan scheme 2026

This scheme offers women and girl children a secure way to save with assured returns of 7.5% Read More... interest per annum over a two-year period. Read less

Details

The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate is a special financial scheme launched by the Indian government to empower women and girls by providing them with secure and attractive investment options.

What is the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate?

Think of it as a special savings bank account designed exclusively for women and minor girls. It offers a fixed interest rate of 7.5% per year, which is calculated and added to your account every three months. You can deposit money for a period of two years, and it's available at all post offices and many public and private sector banks across India.

Who can benefit from this scheme?

This scheme is for every Indian woman and girl child. Whether you are an individual woman looking to save or a guardian (like a father, mother, or grandfather) wanting to open an account for a minor girl, you can avail its benefits. There's no age limit for women, so everyone can participate.

Why this scheme is important

In today's world, financial security is key. This scheme aims to provide just that by offering a safe place to grow your savings with a good interest rate. It encourages women to take charge of their finances and builds confidence by giving them a dedicated savings product. The flexibility in deposit amounts and the option for partial withdrawals also make it a practical choice for many.

Objective

This scheme offers women and girl children a secure way to save with assured returns of 7.5% interest per annum over a two-year period.

Benefits

For Margdarshan Institute or Mentor Institute(MI):

The Council has made provisions of a token grant in aid of ₹ 3,00,000/- per MBI. Hence a maximum ₹ 30,00,000/- can be sanctioned to an MI for conducting activities under the Margdarshan Scheme for 10 MBIs altogether.

Suitable honorarium to staff (Chief Coordinator, supporting persons, etc.) engaged in running the scheme. Such expenditure should be booked under the Heads 'Honorarium for MI Staff'. The maximum honorarium shall, however, be limited to 4% of the overall grant as allotted.

ItemFor any Serving/Retired Academician as Internal Experts of MIs.RemarksTravel Allowances (TA)(1)AC 2 tier accommodation / Chair Car when travelling by train (2) By own car / taxi limited to maximum of the prevailing rates of taxi notified by Central / State Government as applicable in the area from time to time.Payment of TA charges & honorarium will be done through respective MIs. Out of grant-inaid released by AICTEHonorarium₹ 3,000/- per day-Local SupportLocal support includes utilities such as local lodging, boarding, secretarial support, working office, other utilities etc. shall be provide by the host MBI when such experts visit the institute.-Note:It is clarified that overall expenditure shall not exceed the funds sanctioned/ allotted to the MI. No reimbursement shall be made for expenditure exceeding the given amount.For Mentee Beneficiary Institute (MBI):

All activities should be mutually coordinated between the MIs and the associated MBIs to derive maximum benefi and for the betterment of the MBIs to a standard for seeking accreditation. A suggested list of activities is as follows:

General:

Workshop on Accreditation process, SWOT analysis for MBIs.

FDPs/ Workshop on generation & submission of infrastructure project through various state/ central schemes.

Workshop on Promoting Research, Consultancy, Industrial Projects etc.

Guest lectures on Faculty motivation

Institutional visit at MI or other Accredited institutes

Benchmarking exercise with discussion on programme/department wise target for achieving Accreditation.

Guest lectures on Innovation, start-up & entrepreneurship environment for faculty and students.

Workshops on modifications of curriculum, new teaching- learning process etc that aids in OBE.

Mapping of the activities with the Graduate Aptitudes must be clearly done.

Workshops on various initiatives of AICTE for spreading awareness for better development of institution, faculty and students.

FDPs/ Workshops on parameters of NIRF ranking.

Institutional Reforms:

Implementation of curricular reforms and development.

Improve student performance and evaluation.

Implement performance appraisal of faculty by students.

Facilitating Guest/Special lectures.

Assisting institute to organise faculty development programmes.

Research interaction and innovation with faculty & students.

Focus on Technical and life skill encouragement.

Assist faculty in enhancing Outcome based education.

Quality Improvement:

Improving student learning.

Improving student employability.

Increasing faculty productivity and motivation through professional development.

Increase in the average score of students participating in tests designed to measure technical and critical thinking skills.

Percentage of sanctioned faculty positions in participating institutions submitted by regular or contract faculty as per AICTE norms.

Increase in number of Faculty Trained in either their subject domain, pedagogy or management.

Participation of institutes in newly designed research-hub related activities.

Increase in average satisfaction level of the Student, Staff and Faculty.

Sources and references

Guidelines

Who can apply for the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate?

You must be a citizen of India.
The scheme is exclusively for women and girl children.
Any individual woman can open an account for herself.
A guardian can open an account on behalf of a minor girl.
There is no upper age limit; women of all ages are eligible.

Important Points:

Each account is a single-holder account.
You can open multiple accounts, but you must maintain a gap of three months between opening one account and the next.
The total deposit across all your accounts cannot exceed ₹2,00,000.
The minimum deposit is ₹1,000, and subsequent deposits are not allowed in the same account.

How to Apply for Mahila Samman Savings Certificate

Visit your nearest Post Office or an authorized Public/Private Sector Bank branch.
Request the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate application form.
Fill out the form accurately.
Submit the form along with the required documents and your deposit amount.

Note: Subscriptions for this scheme are open until 31st March 2025.

Documents Needed

To open your Mahila Samman Savings Certificate account, you'll generally need the following:

Passport size photograph
Proof of age (like a Birth Certificate)
Aadhaar Card
PAN Card
Pay-in-Slip or cheque for your deposit
Additional ID and Address Proof (any one of these):
- Passport
- Driving license
- Voter’s ID card
- NREGA Job Card
- Letter from the National Population Register with name and address

FAQ’s

What are the key features of the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate?

This is a 2-year savings scheme for women and girl children offering a 7.5% annual interest rate. You can deposit up to ₹2 lakhs and get assured returns. Partial withdrawals are also allowed.

Can I withdraw money before the maturity period?

Yes, you can withdraw up to 40% of your balance once, after one year from the account opening date but before maturity. There are also provisions for premature closure in specific cases like death of the account holder or medical emergencies, though this might affect the interest rate.

What is the interest rate offered by this scheme?

The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate offers a fixed interest rate of 7.5% per annum. This interest is compounded quarterly.

Who is eligible to open an account under this scheme?

Any Indian woman can open an account for herself. Additionally, a guardian can open an account on behalf of a minor girl. There is no minimum age requirement for the woman account holder.

How much can I deposit in a Mahila Samman Savings Certificate account?

You can deposit a minimum of ₹1,000, and up to a maximum of ₹2,00,000 in any account. Deposits must be in multiples of ₹100. The total deposit across all accounts held by one person cannot exceed ₹2 lakhs.

Where can I open a Mahila Samman Savings Certificate account?

You can open an account at any Post Office branch or through eligible Public and Private Sector Banks across India.

What is the maturity period for this certificate?

The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate matures exactly two years from the date on which the deposit was made.

Is there a deadline to invest in this scheme?

Yes, you can make deposits under this scheme until March 31, 2025.

What happens if I need to close the account prematurely?

Premature closure is allowed in specific situations like the account holder's death or on compassionate grounds (e.g., life-threatening illness). If closed after six months without a specific reason, the interest rate will be reduced by 2% from the stated rate.

What documents are required to open this account?

You'll need standard identification like Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, and proof of age (like a Birth Certificate). A passport-size photograph and the deposit amount are also required. Other documents like Passport or Driving License can serve as address proof.