Sukanya Samriddhi
Calculator India 2026

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a Government of India small savings scheme launched in January 2015 under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative. It is designed for parents/guardians of a girl child below 10 years, offering tax-free guaranteed returns over a 21-year tenure. The scheme has EEE (Exempt-Exempt-Exempt) tax treatment — contributions deductible under Section 80C, interest tax-free, maturity proceeds tax-free. The interest rate is set quarterly by the Ministry of Finance and is currently 8.2% (FY 2024-25, indicative for FY 2025-26 pending updates).

A parent or legal guardian can open the account for a girl child below 10 years of age (specifically, under 10 — accounts can be opened on the day before the 10th birthday). The girl child must be a resident Indian citizen at the time of account opening. Maximum two SSY accounts per family — one per girl child. Exception: in case of twins or triplets at the second birth (or first birth for triplets), more than two accounts are allowed. NRIs cannot open SSY; if the girl becomes NRI after opening, the account can continue to maturity but no further contributions are allowed.

Minimum: ₹250 per financial year. Maximum: ₹1,50,000 per financial year (also the Section 80C limit, so SSY contributions count toward 80C). The full ₹1.5L cap applies across all SSY accounts of the family combined (e.g., two girl children with two accounts share the ₹1.5L family-level limit). Contributions can be made via cheque, cash, demand draft, online transfer, NEFT, or UPI at participating banks. Up to 12 deposits per FY are permitted. Contributions are allowed only in the first 15 years from account opening.

The account matures 21 years from the date of opening, OR upon marriage of the girl child after age 18 (premature closure on marriage requires a declaration). During the 21 years: contributions allowed for first 15 years; remaining 6 years, the balance earns interest without further contributions. Partial withdrawal (up to 50% of the previous FY balance) is permitted from age 18 for higher education or marriage. Premature closure before maturity is allowed in specific cases: death of account holder, life-threatening medical emergency, death of guardian. Otherwise, premature closure forfeits the higher SSY interest rate (instead earning post-office savings rate).

Recent quarterly rates set by Ministry of Finance: Q4 FY24-25 (Jan-Mar 2025): 8.2%. FY 2023-24: ranged 8.0-8.2%. FY 2022-23: 7.6%. FY 2021-22: 7.6%. FY 2020-21: 7.6%. FY 2019-20: 8.4%. SSY rates have historically been among the highest of small savings schemes — typically 0.4-0.6 percentage points above PPF. Interest is calculated on the lowest balance between the close of 5th day of the month and the end of the month, then credited annually on 31 March. Compounding is annual.

SSY is purpose-built for girl children: higher rate (8.2% vs 7.1% PPF in current quarter), 21-year tenure (vs 15-year extendable PPF), age cap of 10 at opening. PPF is open to anyone, has 15-year base tenure (extendable in 5-year blocks), and ₹1.5L annual cap. Both have EEE treatment under section 80C. For a girl child below 10, SSY's higher rate produces a meaningfully larger corpus — 21 years of ₹1.5L at 8.2% = ~₹70 lakh maturity vs PPF's ~₹49 lakh at 7.1%. PPF can also be opened in the girl's name as a minor account, but the family-level ₹1.5L 80C cap means most families choose one scheme primarily.

(1) Birth certificate of the girl child (mandatory; foundational eligibility document). (2) ID proof of the parent/guardian (Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, Voter ID). (3) Address proof of the parent/guardian. (4) Photographs of guardian and child. (5) Account opening form (Form-1) at the bank or post office. For multiple-birth cases (twins/triplets) requesting more than 2 accounts: certificate from medical authority. Account can be opened at India Post offices nationwide and at most authorised banks: SBI, PNB, Bank of India, HDFC, ICICI, Axis, Canara, Bank of Baroda, IDBI, Indian Bank, IOB, Central Bank, Union Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank.

Yes — free of charge. Submit a transfer application at the current branch, which forwards the account passbook and ledger to the new branch. The new branch issues a fresh passbook. The transfer doesn't affect interest accrual or contribution history. Address change of the guardian (for example, due to relocation or marriage of the parent) is the most common reason for transfer. Online portal access varies by bank — most major banks now provide SSY balance check and online deposits via internet banking apps.

If the minimum ₹250 is not deposited in any FY, the account becomes 'Account in Default'. Reactivation requires payment of ₹50 penalty per year of default plus the missed minimum (₹250 × number of years). Interest continues to accrue on the existing balance during default years. After reactivation, contributions resume normally. Default does not result in account closure or loss of corpus — it just temporarily restricts further contributions. The 15-year contribution window does not extend; missed years count toward the 15.

Marriage after age 18 allows premature closure of SSY with full balance and accrued interest. The account can be closed at any point after 18 if the girl is getting married — this is the 'marriage premature closure' provision and requires a notarised declaration of imminent marriage (within 1 month before or 3 months after marriage). Marriage before 18: no premature closure; account continues to maturity (21 years) or until 18-year-marriage-closure rule applies. Once the girl turns 18, she can also operate the account directly (the guardian's role ends; she becomes the account holder).