Sukanya Samriddhi Account | Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana | Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme

Sukanya Samriddhi Account Yojana, also known as girl child prosperity scheme is launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sukanya Samriddhi account is to ensure a bright future for girl children in India. This yojana is to facilitate them proper education and carefree marriage expenses.  The scheme has well been accepted by the masses in wake of the financial security and independence it would provide to the girl child as well as their parents and guardians. Sukanya Samriddhi Account Yojana offers a small deposit investment for the girl children as an initiative under ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign.  One of the key benefits of the scheme is that it is quite affordable and offers one of the highest rates of interest. Currently it is set as 9.2% per year for Fy 2015-16 and also SSAY is under the Income tax Act 1961, section 80C.

Sukanya Samriddhi Account Yojana:  Key Pointers

• Till a girl attains an age of 10 years, the Sukanya Samriddhi account yojana can be opened under her name

• Only one account under this scheme is permissible for every girl child

• Walk into any post office or authorized banks to open the account

• To open an account under SSAY, Birth Certificate of the girl child would be required to submit

• The opening amount for the account is Rs 250. Thereafter a customer can be deposited to the account with a minimum of Rs 250 per year

• The maximum limit for deposits in the account is Rs 1,50,000 per year

• You have to pay in this scheme for 14 years. Suppose you have opened this account when the age of your girl child was X years then you have to pay in this scheme till your girl child age is X +14 years.

• The maturity duration of the account is 21 years from the date of opening the account.

• Sukanya Samriddhi Account is transferrable to anywhere in India from a Post office or bank to others.

The scheme comes from Ministry of Finance under its notification GSR 863(E).  This notification was published on 02nd December 2014.  The scheme will operate with the name Sukanya Samriddhi Account Rules, 2014.

Who would be the Depositor in Sukanya Samriddhi Account Yojana

Since this is an account dedicated to the girl child, a parent or guardian of the girl child could be depositor of the account.

Age limit for opening Sukanya Samriddhi Account

Any legal guardian or parents of a girl child can open Sukanya Samriddhi Account under this scheme anytime at the time of birth of the child till she attains an age of ten years.  As a matter of exception, any girl who attained an age of ten years within one year prior to announcement of this scheme would also be entitled to get this account opened under her name.

As a grace period, any girl born between 02nd February 2003 and 01st December 2004 is also eligible to get an account under the scheme; however, they would have to get the account opened by 01st December 2015.

Documents required for opening of Sukanya Samriddhi Account

The process of opening a Sukanya Samriddhi account is quite simple and not much documentation is required in normal cases.  Here is a list of document a parent or guardian needs to take along when applying for an account under the scheme:

• Certificate of Birth of the Girl child

• Proof of Address of parents/guardians

• Proof of identity of the parents/guardian

Please read more for Documents Required

So, in all, you need just three basic documents and Sukanya Samriddhi Account would be opened for your girl child. 

Where to open Sukanya Samriddhi Account?

The government is still in the process of authorizing various financial institutions for opening of account under this scheme.  However, as of now, you can walk in to any nearby post office or any branch of the banks listed below:

Please read more for Authorized Banks for SSA

Can Account holder choose not to close account after maturity

The normal tenure of the account is up to the age of 21 years of the girl.  However, if she wishes to continue the account further, the maturity amount would grow at the same interest rate as per the scheme’s current rates.  The interest would be compounded on a monthly/yearly basis and would get credited to the account once the girl reaches an age of 14 years.

Who is authorized to operate Sukanya Samriddhi Account?

As mentioned earlier in the article, the account could be opened by the parents of legal guardian of the girl child.  They would be operating the account until the girl child turns 10 years.  After 10 years, a girl child may operate her own account, if she chooses to.

Pre-Mature Withdrawal and Account Transfer in Sukanya Samriddhi Account Yojana

Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme has been launched across India and hence the account is transferrable to any part of the country in situation of the account holder or the depositor moving to other places.

The scheme clearly envisages that a pre-mature amount of up to 50% is allowed for withdrawal after the account holder turns 18 year for the requirement of either marriage or higher education.

In case of marriage of the account holder after 18 years, the operation of the account may not be possible and hence this scheme offers closure of the account after marriage of the account holder.  In that case, an affidavit and relevant proof would be require stating that the girl is above 18 year of age and has been married after that. 


Read More for Withdrawal Rules

Tax Benefits from Sukanya Samriddhi Account Yojana

Any amount that would be deposited in Sukanya Samriddhi Account would be exempted from tax under 80C of IT Act, 1961, till a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh.  The interest and maturity amount on this account is also exempted from income tax.

Please read more on Sukanya Samriddhi Account tax Benefits

The Advantages of Sukanya Samriddhi Account Yojana

• High and best in market interest rates

• Full tax benefits under 80C of Income Tax act

• Maturity amount to be given directly to the girl child

• Interest would be paid even after maturity of the account, if it is not closed by the account holder or depositor

• No fixed number of deposits. The depositor can deposit a multiple of Rs 1,000 through out the year, with no limitation on number of deposits.  This is indeed a big advantage of the scheme.

• Account can be transferred anywhere in India

• Girl child / Account holder may operate her account, if she wishes to. This would give a lot of financial independence to the girl child as well.

Please read more on SSA Benefits

The shortcomings of Sukanya Samriddhi Account Yojana

• Lock in period is a little on higher side

• The account is limited for just two girl child of the parents

• The scheme does not facilitate online transfer facility and that would be a discomfort for the IT savvy customers

• No surety account the Rate of Interest in future

Please read more on Drawbacks of SSA

To conclude, the intent of the scheme is quite noble and would certainly provide a lot of financial independence to the girl child as well as their parents and guardians.  At the same time, considering the leverages and flexibilities it provides, we are sure that it would bring a lot of capital to the banks.  The only thing we would not be sure of as of now is how this scheme would be taken by the forthcoming budgets and government at the center.