summarizes all government saving schemes

The table below summarizes all government saving schemes with their salient features.

Scheme Plan	Eligible	Minimum Investment Required	Maximum Investment Allowed	Interest Rate Earned	Tax Deduction
Public Provident fund (PPF)	Individual	Rs 500 per year	Rs 1.5 lakh per year	8% p.a. (Annually Compounded)	Allowed up to Rs 1.5 lakh
National Savings Certificate (NSC)	Individual	Rs 100	No Limit	8.0 % p.a. (Compounded Annually)	Deduction on deposit made up to Rs 1.5 lakh
Post Office Savings Account	Resident Individual	Rs 20	No Limit	4% p.a.	Tax free interest
Post Office Time Deposit	Individual	Rs 200	No Limit	First 3 years- 7% Fourth year- 7.8%	Deduction up to 5 years on deposit
Post Office Recurring Deposit	Individual	Rs 10	No Limit	7.3%	Interest taxable, no deduction on deposit
Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS)	Individual	Rs 1500	Single account- Rs 4.5 lakh Joint account- Rs 9 lakh	7.3 % per annum payable monthly	Interest taxable, no deduction on deposit
Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP)	Individual	Rs 1000	No Limit	7.7% p.a. (Compounded Annually)	Interest Tax, amount received on maturity exempt

Conclusion 

To sum up, there are a variety of saving schemes spread across risk profiles that cater to a wide variety of investors. All of them are government supported hence promise capital protection as well as appreciation at attractive rates. Keep in mind the interest rates, tax treatment as well as lock-in period of different schemes to select the most suitable option. For optimal growth of your wealth you can invest across a combination of best savings schemes as well.