 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 9: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today inaugurated the Financial Literacy Week (FLW) 2026 for the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The week-long programme is being organised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from February 09 to February 13, 2026, with a focus on strengthening financial awareness and safe banking practices among citizens.
The event was also attended by Rachna Sharma, Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department; Sh. Vidhu Shekhar, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jammu; Sh. Deepak Dubey, Joint Director Information, Jammu; Shri Vikas Mittal, GM/O-i-C, NABARD, Jammu; Shri Sunit Kumar, CGM, J&K Bank; controlling heads of banks; and officers and representatives from Government departments, RBI, banks, financial institutions and UTLBC J&K and Ladakh.
Addressing bankers and stakeholders on the occasion, the Chief Secretary observed that financial inclusion reflects the Gandhian principle of "Sarvodaya through Antyodaya", both as a policy objective and as a shared responsibility of all institutions. He underlined that the importance of financial inclusion is evident from the fact that nearly seven of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are directly linked to financial access and empowerment of the masses.
Highlighting recent achievements, the Chief Secretary stated that during the three-month financial inclusion campaign conducted from July to October 2025, the Government, in collaboration with banking institutions, worked extensively at the Panchayat level to saturate benefits under various Government of India schemes including Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). These efforts resulted in KYC updation of nearly 5.9 lakh accounts, covering about 51 percent of the targeted accounts.
He further noted that institutions such as RBI, NABARD, SEBI, PFRDA and banks are collectively working towards creating financial awareness among citizens. He added that financial integration through governance is also gaining momentum with the introduction of financial literacy lessons in JKBOSE curriculum, alongside livelihood training and skill development programmes.
Speaking about this year's theme, "KYC - Your First Step to Safe Banking", the Chief Secretary emphasised the need for adopting Centralised KYC mechanism, which, like UPI, can simplify financial transactions and credit access while ensuring account hygiene and strengthening defence against financial fraud and cyber threats.
He reiterated that the vision of Viksit Bharat and sustainable development is closely linked to comprehensive financial inclusion. |
