Bank Deposit Insurance Programme: UPSC Daily Important Topic | 19 June 2023

Bank Deposit Insurance Programme

•Guaranteed Time-bound Deposit Insurance Payment up to ₹5 Lakh’.

•The bank savings are insured under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) Act providing full coverage to around 98 per cent of bank accounts.

•Earlier, account holders had to wait for years till the liquidation or restructuring of a distressed lender to get their deposits that are insured against default.

•Last year, the government raised the insurance amount to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh.

•Prior to that, the DICGC had revised the deposit insurance cover to Rs 1 lakh on May 1, 1993 — raising it from Rs 30,000, which had been the cover from 1980 onward.

What are new changes?

•Earlier, out of the amount deposited in the bank, only Rs 50,000 was guaranteed, which was then raised to Rs 1 lakh.

•Understanding the concern of the poor, understanding the concern of the middle class, we increased this amount to Rs 5 lakh.

•If a bank is weak or is even about to go bankrupt, depositors will get their money of up to Rs five lakhs within 90 days.

Significance of the scheme

•Earlier account holders could not access their own money for up to 8-10 years after financial stress at banks.

•The new changes would give confidence to depositors and strengthen the banking and financial system.

•Now, depositors can get insurance money within 90 days, without waiting for the eventual liquidation of the distressed banks.