Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) Scheme 2023

Accidents are possibly the most tragic catastrophe that can occur to a family. It is unfortunate to happen to any family member, but more so to the breadwinners. If something serious happens to the breadwinners, then the entire family suffers. And, in case of an absence of apt insurance, the consequences can be dire! Hence, it is imperative that at least the breadwinner is insured against any accident.

It is not that difficult for the middle and upper classes to afford apt insurance. However, poor people tend to find it difficult to spare a substantial amount for their insurance. And the irony is that it is them who need the insurance most. Most middle-class and affluent families have savings that can take care of them during a crisis, but the poor have little to no financial security.

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana

With that bitter truth as a premise, the Indian Government intended to bring the huge uninsured population of India under insurance coverage. Subsequently, Shri Narendra Modi, the honorable prime minister of India, launched PMSBY, a personal accident insurance scheme, on 9th May 2015 from Kolkata, West Bengal. The full form of PMSBY is Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, and it fills the gap in the market apropos to affordability. Though the insurance is primarily targeted at the poor section of society, it is available to all adult Indian citizens with operational bank accounts.

In the year 2020 alone, 3,66,138 road accidents occurred in India. These accidents caused 1,31,714 deaths and injuries to as many as 3,48,279 people. Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana aids financial assistance to the injured policyholder and the deceased's family members (in case of the death of a policyholder). 

PMSBY Scheme: Details

The details of PM Suraksha Bima Yojana are as follows-

1. The PM Suraksha Bima Yojana is a blessing for the proletariat class, with the premium fixed at only ₹20/annum.
2. The premium gets debited automatically from the policyholder's (with his permission) bank or post office account.
3. All adult Indian citizens between 18 to 70 years are eligible to subscribe to the PMSBY policy.
4. The policyholder can choose between annual renewability and a long-term subscription.
5. Akin to most insurance schemes, it also has tax benefits for the policyholder.

PMSBY: Benefits

Here are the primary benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.

1. Upon the death of a policyholder, the benefit amounts to ₹2,00,000. It is provided to the nominee or legal heir (in the absence of a nominee on the policy).
2. In case of serious injuries, such as loss of limbs (both hands or legs) or complete loss of sight of both eyes ₹2,00,000 would be provided to the policyholder.
3. In case of the loss of a limb (one hand or leg) or complete loss of sight in an eye ₹1,00,000 would be provided to the policyholder.
4. It also helps the policyholder in terms of tax savings (especially in the case of long-term policies) under Sections 80C (premium payment) and 10D (tax exemption of up to ₹1,00,000). 

PMSBY: Non-coverage

Here are some circumstances wherein one may not be able to claim their Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana policy benefits.

1.  The policy only covers accidental cases; any other case is automatically excluded.
2. The policy does not cover any attempt of self-harm, including suicide.
3. Any temporary disability is also not claimable in this policy.

PMSBY: Eligibility

Here are the eligibility criteria for the Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana-

1. 18 years is the minimum subscription age.
2. 70 years is the maximum subscription age.
3. A subscriber must have a valid bank account (in India).
4. The subscriber's bank account should be linked with their Aadhaar card.
5. In case the Aadhaar card is not linked with the subscriber's bank account, the photocopy of the card should be submitted with the PMSBY application. 

PMSBY: Documents Required

Here are the documents one requires for the facilitation of the Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana.

1. Duly formed application form (which is available in Bengali, English, Gujrati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, and Telugu).
2. KYC documents include an Aadhaar card, electoral photo identity card, MGNREGA card, driving license, PAN card, and passport.
3. Declaration of the nominee. 

PMSBY: Application Process

This is how one can apply for the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.

Applying Online on the Website

1. Applicants can apply for the PMSBY scheme online.
2. Applicants have to visit the Jan Suraksha Yojana website.
3. Over there, applicants need to click the "Forms" tab. Further, on this tab, they need to click on the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana form.
4. Afterward, applicants need to print it out and fill up all required details, such as the Aadhar card number, bank account number, mobile number, and name of the nominee.
5. Finally, they have to attach photocopies of all the documents mentioned above with the form and submit it to the same bank whose account number they have filled in the PMSBY application form.

Application Via SMS 

1. Applicants would receive an SMS about the policy activation.
2. Type "PMSBY Y" in reply to the activation SMS.
3. Applicants would receive an acknowledgment message on their phones. 
4. The applicant's bank (the master holder of the policy) would process the information from the back end of their savings account.

Activation Through the Online Banking Method

1. Applicants need to log in to their bank's internet banking account.
2. They need to navigate to their Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana insurance and click on it.
3. Check and confirm all the relevant details.
4. Finally, download their confirmation receipt and jot down the reference number. 

Institutes Facilitating the PMSBY Scheme

Banks

• Allahabad Bank
• Axis Bank
• Bank of India
• Bank of Maharashtra
• Bharatiya Mahila Bank
• Canara Bank
• Central Bank
• Corporation Bank
• Dena Bank
• Federal Bank
• HDFC Bank
• ICICI Bank
• IDBI Bank
• IndusInd Bank
• Kerala Gramin Bank
• Kotak Bank
• Oriental Bank of Commerce
• Punjab and Sind Bank
• Punjab National Bank
• South Indian Bank
• State Bank of Hyderabad
• State Bank of India
• State Bank of Travancore
• Syndicate Bank
• UCO Bank
• Union Bank of India
• United Bank of India
• Vijaya Bank

Insurance Companies 

• Bajaj Allianz
• Cholamandalam MS
• ICICI Lombard
• National Insurance
• New India Assurance
• Reliance General Insurance
• United India Insurance
• Universal Sompo

PMSBY: Customer Care Number

Here are the customer care numbers for the PMSBY scheme concerning their states.

State	Bank	Customer Care Number
Andaman and Nicobar Island	State Bank of India	1800-345-4545
Andhra Pradesh	Andhra Bank	1800-425-8525
Arunachal Pradesh	State Bank of India	1800-345-3616
Assam	State Bank of India	1800-345-3756
Bihar	State Bank of India	1800-345-6195
Chandigarh	Punjab National Bank	1800-180-1111
Chhattisgarh	State Bank of India	1800-233-4358
Dadra and Nagar Haveli	Dena Bank	1800-225-885
Daman and Diu	Dena Bank	1800-225-885
Delhi	Oriental Bank of Commerce	1800-1800-124
Goa	State Bank of India	1800-2333-202
Gujarat	Dena Bank	1800-255-885
Haryana	Punjab National Bank	1800-180-1111
Himachal Pradesh	UCO Bank	1800-180-8053
Jharkhand	Bank of India	1800-345-6576
Karnataka	Syndicate Bank	1800-4259-7777
Kerala	Canara Bank	1800-425-11222
Lakshadweep	Syndicate Bank	1800-4259-7777
Madhya Pradesh	Central Bank of India	1800-233-4035
Maharashtra	Bank of Maharashtra	1800-102-2636
Manipur	State Bank of India	1800-345-3858
Meghalaya	State Bank of India	1800-345-3658
Mizoram	State Bank of India	1800-345-3660
Nagaland	State Bank of India	1800-345-3708
Odisha	UCO Bank	1800-345-6551
Puducherry	Indian Bank	1800-4250-0000
Punjab	Punjab National Bank	1800-180-1111
Rajasthan	Bank of Baroda	1800-180-6546
Sikkim	State Bank of India	1800-345-3256
Tamil Nadu	Indian Overseas Bank	1800-425-4415
Telangana	State Bank of Hyderabad	1800-425-8933
Uttar Pradesh	Bank of Baroda	1800-102-4455 or 1800-223-344
Uttarakhand	State Bank of India	1800-180-4167
West Bengal and Tripura	United Bank of India	1800-345-3343

PMSBY: Login Process

This is the way applicants can log in to their PM Suraksha Bima Yojana-

1. Log in to their internet banking account in the usual way.
2. Navigate to the insurance section and click on it.
3. Select the Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana.
4. Opt for the account linked with the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
5. Finally, click on the submit button.

PMSBY: SMS Activation

Here's how applicants can activate the SMS services for their PM Suraksha Bima Yojana-

1. First, applicants need to log on to their banking account's portal.
2. Navigate to the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana section and click there.
3. In this section, they have to enter their account number and carefully submit the captcha code.
4. Click to obtain the OTP.
5. Furnish all the relevant details.
6. Finally, click on the submit button.

PMSBY: Online Access Activation

This is how applicants can activate the online access to their PM Suraksha Bima Yojana-

1. Applicants need to log on to their banking account's portal.
2. Navigate to the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana section and click there.
3. Select the premium paying account.
4. Check and confirm all the relevant details.
5. Download the receipt of their PMSBY policy.

PMSBY: Checking the Application Status

Here's how applicants can check their Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana application status.

1. First, applicants need to log on to their bank's portal.
2. Navigate to the section of their PM, Suraksha Bima Yojana.
3. Then, applicants need to key in their bank account number linked to the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana policy.
4. Key in their PM Suraksha Bima Yojana application number.
5. Now applicants need to click on the submit button.
6. Finally, they need to check on the status.

PMSBY: Renewal 

Applicants can put the policy on auto-renewal. The premium would be debited automatically from their account. And, in that way, their policy would be auto-renewed. The annual term for the policy would be from 01st June to 31st May. If they do not wish to continue, they must send a cancellation request before the end of May. 

PMSBY: Claim Process

These are the important points about the Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojanaclaim process.

1. The insured or the policy nominee has to inform the bank or insurance agency from which they have procured the policy as soon as possible.
2. The claim form can be obtained from the Jan Suraksha Yojana website or the designated banks and insurance companies.
3. Fill out the form properly and submit it to the institute (bank or insurance company) for processing within 30 days of the accident.
4. For smooth processing of the claims, they should be accompanied by disability certificates (in case of injuries) or death certificates (in case of death) issued by certified medical professionals.
5. The financial organization would verify and forward the documents to the insurer within 30 days of the receipt of the paperwork. 
6. The insurer would verify all details and process the claim within 30 days of receipt.
7. Once the claim is successfully processed, the amount will be credited to the policyholder's bank account (in case of injuries) or to the nominee's account (in case of the policyholder's death). If the nominee's name is absent, the legal heir is eligible for the payout. However, the heir must show the succession certificate.

PMSBY: Termination

The accident coverage may terminate or get restricted due to the following conditions-

1. Turning 70 years of age.
2. Account closure or balance insufficiency for the insurance auto-debit.
3. If a policyholder has subscribed to the policy through multiple accounts, then the coverage would be limited to only one account. Premiums from all other accounts may get forfeited.

Conclusion

Per the press release by the Government of India (Ministry of Finance), dated 09th May, 2022, the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana has more than 28.37 crore cumulative enrolments. On the occasion of the PMSBY scheme's 7th-anniversary celebrations, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, stated that since the scheme's launch, a whooping ₹1,930 crore has been released towards settling 97,227 claims.

All the above-mentioned facts prove that the PM Suraksha Bima Yojana is a blessing for the common Indian populace. With the induction of this scheme, the Government has accomplished its aim of bringing insurance coverage to the poorer sections of Indian society. The sheer massive enrollment numbers and the proportionately great figure of beneficiaries bear testimonial to the success of the Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana.

FAQs

Are NRIs eligible for the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana?

An NRI with a bank account within the shores of India can apply for the PMSBY scheme. However, do remember that the settlement amount would be paid only in Indian rupees.

Would the Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana reimburse hospitalization expenditures due to an accident?

As of now, the PMSBY scheme compensates only during disability or death.

How can one pay the premium for Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana?

The premium gets automatically debited from the policyholder's account annually or once per their instruction.

What is the eligibility for Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana?

Anyone (between the age of 18 to 70 years) with an account in the participating banks or post office is eligible to apply for the PMSBY scheme. However, one could apply only through one account.

What is the coverage period of PM Suraksha Bima Yojana?

The PMSBY scheme comes in two forms - renewable annually or long-term policies. The annual policy covers the period between 01st June to 31st May.

Can one rejoin the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana later, if eligible?

Anyone who has exited the PMSBY scheme may rejoin later by paying the yearly premium. However, the insurance coverage would restart from the auto-debit date.

Does the Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana cover unfortunate incidents resulting from natural causes, for example - landslides, floods, earthquakes, and other natural calamities?

Yes, the PM Suraksha Bima Yojana does cover natural calamities.

Does PM Suraksha Bima Yojana cover murder or suicide?

The PMSBY scheme covers murders but not suicide.

Who can claim the settlement amount after the death of the PMSBY scheme policyholder?

Only the designated nominee can claim the benefits from Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana. However, if the nominee's name is absent from the policy paperwork, then the legal heir can claim this amount.

Are police and FIR reports necessary to claim benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana?

Yes, police and FIR reports are a must to claim benefits under the PMSBY scheme.