Apki Punji, Apka Adhikar: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Launches Nationwide Financial Awareness Campaign ‘Your Capital, Your Right’ in Gandhinagar

Apki Punji, Apka Adhikar: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Launches Nationwide Financial Awareness Campaign ‘Your Capital, Your Right’ in Gandhinagar

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman today launched the nationwide financial awareness campaign “आपकी पूँजी, आपका अधिकार” (Your Capital, Your Right) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, emphasizing citizens’ right to reclaim their unclaimed money.

This initiative by Ministry of Finance aims to help citizens trace and claim unclaimed deposits, dividends, insurance proceeds, mutual fund balances, and pension dues, ensuring that these savings return to their rightful owners. The campaign will run across all districts of India from October to December 2025.

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Highlighting the importance of the initiative, the Finance Minister said,

“Unclaimed deposits are not just figures on paper — they represent the hard-earned savings of ordinary families. Every rupee saved by citizens must return to them or their families.”

She outlined the campaign’s ‘3A Strategy’ — Awareness, Accessibility, and Action — as its guiding framework to ensure maximum public participation and transparency.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, in his message, praised the initiative as a step toward strengthening public trust, dignity, and financial empowerment. Gujarat’s Finance Minister Shri Kanubhai Desai added that unclaimed deposits can support education, empowerment, and other social needs.

According to the Department of Financial Services (DFS), as of August 2025:

• ₹75,000 crore in unclaimed bank deposits has been transferred to the RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness Fund.
• ₹13,800 crore in unclaimed insurance proceeds, ₹3,000 crore in unclaimed mutual fund balances, and ₹9,000 crore in unpaid dividends remain unclaimed.
• Nearly 172 crore shares have been moved to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF).

DFS Secretary Shri M. Nagaraju stressed that all claims must be processed “quickly and fairly so that citizens walk away with clarity and confidence.”

The campaign brings together the RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, IEPFA, and major financial institutions under one framework for citizen empowerment.