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The Mahila Samman Saving Certificate, 2023, is available from 01/04/2023 in the Post Offices at an interest rate of 7.5% p.a.
The Union Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman announced Mahila Samman Saving Certificate, a new small savings scheme for women and girls, in her Budget Speech 2023-24. The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate scheme was announced to commemorate the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate is a one-time scheme available for two years, from April 2023-March 2025. It will offer a maximum deposit facility of up to Rs.2 lakh in the name of women or girls for two years at a fixed interest rate.
Below are the features of the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, 2023:
The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate account can be closed before two years in the following situations:
The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance authorised all public sector banks and qualified private sector banks to operate the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate scheme through an e-gazette announcement on 27 June 2023. The list of qualified banks offering this scheme is as follows:
Women and guardians of a girl child can open a Mahila Samman Savings Certificate scheme at post offices and qualified scheduled banks.
Let’s look at the benefit of opening a Mahila Samman Savings Certificate account. Suppose you invest Rs.2,00,000 under the scheme; you get an interest fixed at 7.5% yearly. Thus, in the first year, you will get Rs.15,000 interest on the principal amount, and in the second year, you will get Rs.16,125 interest. Thus, by the end of two years, you will get 2,31,125 (2,00,000 initial investment + 31,125 interest for two years). Thus, your maturity amount, which you get after two years, will be Rs.2,31,125.
The government has introduced many small savings schemes, which are investment tools for people. The popular savings schemes are Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), Senior Citizens Small Savings Scheme (SCSS) and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY). Let’s look at the comparison of other small savings schemes with the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate.
Particulars | Mahila Samman Savings Certificate | PPF |
Eligibility | Women and girl children | Any individual Indian citizen |
Interest Rate | 7.5% | 7.1% |
Tenure | 2 years | 15 years |
Deposit Limit | Minimum - Rs.1,000 Maximum - Rs.2 lakh | Minimum - Rs.500 Maximum - Rs 1.5 lakh |
Premature Withdrawal | Permits 40% withdrawal after one year | Permits partial withdrawal after 7 years |
Tax Benefit | No tax deduction under Section 80C | Exempt-Exempt-Exempt (EEE) category under Section 80C category |
Particulars | Mahila Samman Savings Certificate | NSC |
Eligibility | Women and girl children | Any individual, including NRIs |
Interest Rate | 7.5% | 7.7% |
Tenure | 2 years | 5 years |
Deposit Limit | Minimum - Rs.1,000 Maximum - Rs.2 lakh | Minimum - Rs.100 Maximum - No limit |
Premature Withdrawal | Permits 40% withdrawal after one year | Allowed in certain circumstances |
Tax Benefit | No tax deduction under Section 80C | Deductions of up to Rs.1.5 lakh under Section 80C |
Particulars | Mahila Samman Savings Certificate | SCSS |
Eligibility | Women and girl children | Senior citizens aged above 60 years |
Interest Rate | 7.5% | 8.2% |
Tenure | 2 years | 5 years |
Deposit Limit | Minimum - Rs.1,000 Maximum - Rs.2 lakh | Minimum - Rs.1,000 Maximum - Rs.30 lakh |
Premature Withdrawal | Permits 40% withdrawal after one year | Can be closed at any time |
Tax Benefit | No tax deduction under Section 80C | Deductions of up to Rs.1.5 lakh under Section 80C |
Particulars | Mahila Samman Savings Certificate | SSY |
Eligibility | Women and girl children | Only in the name of a girl child before she attains 10 years |
Interest Rate | 7.5% | 8.0% |
Tenure | 2 years | 21 years from opening the account or when the girl child attains 18 years |
Deposit Limit | Minimum - Rs.1,000 Maximum - Rs.2 lakh | Minimum - Rs.250 Maximum - Rs.1.5 lakh |
Premature Withdrawal | Permits 40% withdrawal after one year | Allowed under certain circumstances |
Tax Benefit | No tax deduction under Section 80C | Exempt-Exempt-Exempt (EEE) category under Section 80C category |
The Mahila Samman Saving Certificate 2023, announced by the Union Finance Minister, offers a fixed interest rate of 7.5% p.a. for two years. It has minimum deposit of Rs. 1,000 and maximum of Rs. 2 lakh. Opening available at post offices and listed banks with no TDS on interest. Premature closure conditions are stated. Compare with other small savings schemes. Benefits explained with calculation example.