AICTE-Margdarshan scheme 2026

This scheme offers women and minor girls a secure savings option with a 7.5% assured interest rate Read More... and flexible benefits, aiming for financial security. Read less

Details

The Indian government has launched the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, a special savings scheme designed to empower women and girls financially. It's a safe way to invest your money and earn good returns.

What is the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate?

This scheme, introduced by the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance, provides an attractive investment opportunity for all women and girl children in India. You can deposit money for a period of two years and earn a fixed interest. The scheme is easily accessible through post offices and selected public and private sector banks across the country.

Who Can Benefit?

The scheme is exclusively for women and minor girls. Any individual woman can open an account for herself. Guardians can also open an account on behalf of a minor girl. There is no age limit, so women of all ages can take advantage of this scheme.

Why is this Scheme Important?

It aims to provide a secure investment avenue with assured returns, encouraging women to save and build their financial independence. With a competitive interest rate and flexible deposit options, it's a significant step towards promoting financial literacy and security among women.

Objective

This scheme offers women and minor girls a secure savings option with a 7.5% assured interest rate and flexible benefits, aiming for financial security.

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

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, you must meet the following conditions:

You must be a citizen of India.
The scheme is exclusively for women and girl children.
Individual women can open an account for themselves.
A guardian can open an account on behalf of a minor girl.
There is no upper age limit.

Important Points about Deposits:

An account under this scheme is a single-holder account.
You can open multiple accounts, but each new account must be opened at least three months after the previous one.
The minimum deposit is ₹1,000, and subsequent deposits are not allowed in the same account.
The total deposit in any account or across all accounts held by an individual cannot exceed ₹2,00,000.

Maturity and Withdrawal:

Your deposit matures after two years from the date you opened the account.
You can withdraw up to 40% of your balance once, after one year from the account opening date but before maturity.

How To Apply

Opening an account under the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate is straightforward. You can visit your nearest participating financial institution:

Post Offices: Visit any Post Office branch.
Banks: Visit any eligible Public or Private Sector Bank branch.

You will need to fill out the prescribed application form and submit it along with the required documents and your deposit amount.

Documents Required

When applying for the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, please be ready with the following documents:

Passport size photograph
Proof of age (e.g., Birth Certificate)
Aadhaar Card
PAN Card
Pay-in-Slip or cheque for the deposit amount

The following are accepted as valid identity and address proof:

Passport
Driving license
Voter’s ID card
Job card issued by NREGA signed by a State Government officer
Letter issued by the National Population Register

FAQ’s

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

The scheme offers a high interest rate of 7.5% per annum, compounded quarterly, providing attractive returns on your savings. It also allows for partial withdrawals up to 40% of the balance after one year, offering flexibility.

What is the investment period for this scheme?

The scheme is open for subscription from April 1, 2023, until March 31, 2025. The maturity period for each account is two years from the date of deposit.

Can I withdraw money before the maturity of my Mahila Samman Savings Certificate?

Yes, you can make a partial withdrawal of up to 40% of the balance once after one year from the opening date but before maturity. Premature closure is also allowed in specific cases like the death of the account holder or on compassionate grounds, though it might affect the interest rate.

Who is eligible to open an account under this scheme?

The scheme is exclusively for Indian women and minor girls. An individual woman can open an account for herself, or a guardian can open one for a minor girl.

Where can I open a Mahila Samman Savings Certificate account?

You can open an account at any Post Office branch or at any designated Public and Private Sector Bank across India.

What is the maximum amount I can deposit in the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate?

The maximum deposit allowed in a single account is ₹2,00,000. You can open multiple accounts, but the total deposit across all your accounts must not exceed this limit.

What documents are needed to open an account?

You will need standard identification documents like a Passport size photograph, Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, and proof of age (like a Birth Certificate). You'll also need a pay-in slip or cheque for your deposit.

How is the interest calculated and paid?

The interest rate is 7.5% per annum, compounded quarterly. The interest earned is credited to your account and paid out along with the principal amount at the time of account closure upon maturity.

What happens if I don't follow the scheme's rules?

If your account operations are not in line with the scheme's provisions, the interest earned will be at the rate applicable to a regular Post Office Savings Account, which is typically lower.

What is the minimum amount I can invest?

The minimum deposit required to open a Mahila Samman Savings Certificate account is ₹1,000. Any subsequent deposit must be in multiples of ₹100.