New Delhi: More than ₹9,330 crore is lying unclaimed in 30.91 lakh inactive Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) accounts, according to information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The disclosure comes at a time when the government has introduced the Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme, 2026, replacing the old EPF Scheme, 1952.
New EPF Scheme comes into effect
The EPF Scheme, 2026 became effective from June 29, 2026, after being officially notified by the central government.
The new scheme aims to simplify provident fund rules and make the EPF system more digital and user-friendly for around 8 crore active EPFO members across the country.
However, details regarding Aadhaar-linked and high-value EPF accounts have not yet been made public.
Inactive accounts still hold thousands of crores
According to the RTI reply, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had 30,91,862 inactive accounts as of March 31, 2026.
These accounts contained more than ₹9,330 crore that has not been claimed by account holders or their nominees.
The figures show a slight improvement compared with the previous financial year.
As of March 31, 2025, there were 31.83 lakh inactive EPF accounts. This number fell by nearly 92,000 accounts over one year.
The amount of unclaimed money also declined by about ₹851 crore, from ₹10,181 crore to ₹9,330 crore.
Money equal to major government spending
The report noted that the unclaimed amount is almost equal to the government’s expenditure of around ₹10,169 crore under the UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme, launched in 2016.
It is also close to the amount allocated for the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) in the 2026-27 Union Budget.
Enough to build nearly three IITs
The report also highlighted the scale of the unclaimed money by comparing it with the cost of setting up Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
Government estimates in 2014 had placed the cost of establishing one IIT at around ₹1,750 crore. After adjusting for inflation, the estimated cost in 2026 is around ₹2,934 crore per IIT.
Based on this estimate, the ₹9,330 crore lying in inactive EPF accounts would be enough to build nearly three IITs, with more than ₹500 crore still remaining.
