Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021
(1) The Reserve Bank, if it is satisfied that it is expedient so to do, may by order suspend for such period as may be specified in the order, the operation of all or any of the clauses of the Scheme, either generally or in relation to any specified Regulated Entity.
(2) The Reserve Bank may, by order, extend from time to time, the period of any suspension ordered as aforesaid by such period, as it may deem fit.
(1) In the Scheme, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) "Appellate Authority" means the Executive Director in-Charge of the Department of the Reserve Bank administering the Scheme;
(b) "Appellate Authority Secretariat" means the Department in the Reserve Bank which is administering the Scheme;
(c) "Authorised Representative" means a person, other than an advocate, duly appointed and authorised in writing to represent the complainant in the proceedings before the Ombudsman;
(d) "Award" means an award passed by the Ombudsman in accordance with the Scheme;
(e) "bank" means a 'banking company', a 'corresponding new bank', a 'Regional Rural Bank', 'State Bank of India' as defined in the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, a 'co-operative bank' as defined in Section 56 (c) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to the extent not excluded under the Scheme, but does not include a bank in resolution or winding up or under directions or any other bank as specif
(1) The Reserve Bank may appoint one or more of its officers as Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, to carry out the functions entrusted to them under the Scheme.
(2) The appointment of Ombudsman or the Deputy Ombudsman, as the case may be, shall be made for a period not exceeding three years at a time.
(1) The offices of the Ombudsman shall be at such places as may be specified by the Reserve Bank.
(2) In order to expedite disposal of the complaints, the Ombudsman may hold sittings at such places and in such manner as may be considered necessary and proper in respect of a complaint.
(1) The Reserve Bank shall establish the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre at any place as may be decided by it to receive the complaints filed under the Scheme and process them.
(2) The complaints under the Scheme made online shall be registered on the portal (https://cms.rbi.org.in). Complaints in electronic mode (E-mail) and physical form, including postal and hand-delivered complaints, shall be addressed and sent to the place where the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre of the Reserve Bank is established, for scrutiny and initial processing.
Provided that the complaints that are received directly in any of the offices of the Reserve Bank shall be forwarded to the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre for further action.
The Reserve Bank shall ensure that the offices of the Ombudsman and the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre are adequately staffed and shall bear the cost thereof.
(1) The Ombudsman/Deputy Ombudsman shall consider the complaints of customers of Regulated Entities relating to deficiency in service.
(2) There is no limit on the amount in a dispute that can be brought before the Ombudsman for which the Ombudsman can pass an Award. However, for any consequential loss suffered by the complainant, the Ombudsman shall have the power to provide a compensation up to Rupees 20 lakh, in addition to, up to Rupees One lakh for the loss of the complainant's time, expenses incurred and for harassment/mental anguish suffered by the complainant.
(3) While the Ombudsman shall have the power to address and close all complaints, the Deputy Ombudsman shall have the power to close those complaints falling under clause 10 of the Scheme and complaints settled through facilitation as stated under clause 14 of the Scheme.
(4) The Ombudsman shall send to the Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India, a report, as on March 31st every year, containing a
Any customer aggrieved by an act or omission of a Regulated Entity resulting in deficiency in service may file a complaint under the Scheme personally or through an authorised representative as defined under clause 3(1)(c).
(1) No complaint for deficiency in service shall lie under the Scheme in matters involving:
(a) commercial judgment/commercial decision of a Regulated Entity;
(b) a dispute between a vendor and a Regulated Entity relating to an outsourcing contract;
(c) a grievance not addressed to the Ombudsman directly;
(d) general grievances against Management or Executives of a Regulated Entity;
(e) a dispute in which action is initiated by a Regulated Entity in compliance with the orders of a statutory or law enforcing authority;
(f) a service not within the regulatory purview of the Reserve Bank;
(g) a dispute between Regulated Entities; and
(h) a dispute involving the employee-employer relationship of a Regulated Entity.
(2) A complaint under the Scheme shall not lie unless:
(a) the complainant had, before making a complaint under the Scheme, made a written complaint to the Regulated Entity concerned and --
(i) the c
(1) The complaint may be lodged online through the portal designed for the purpose (https://cms.rbi.org.in).
(2) The complaint may also be submitted through electronic or physical mode to the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre as notified by the Reserve Bank. The complaint, if submitted in physical form, shall be duly signed by the complainant or by the authorised representative. The complaint shall be submitted in electronic or physical mode in such format and containing such information as may be specified by Reserve Bank.
(1) Complaints which are in the nature of offering suggestions or seeking guidance or explanation shall not be treated as valid complaints under the Scheme and shall be closed accordingly with a suitable communication to the complainant.
(2) Complaints which are non-maintainable under clause 10 shall be separated to issue a suitable communication to the complainant.
(3) The remaining complaints shall be assigned to the offices of the Ombudsman for further examination under intimation to the complainant. A copy of the complaint shall also be forwarded to the Regulated Entity against whom the complaint is filed with a direction to submit its written version.
(1) The Ombudsman may, for the purpose of carrying out duties under this Scheme, require the Regulated Entity against whom the complaint has been made or any other Regulated Entity which is a party to the dispute to provide any information or furnish certified copies of any document relating to the complaint which are or is alleged to be in its possession.
Provided that in the event of failure of a Regulated Entity to comply with the requisition without sufficient cause, the Ombudsman may draw an inference that the Regulated Entity has no information to furnish.
(2) The Ombudsman shall maintain confidentiality of the information or the documents coming to its knowledge or possession in the course of discharging duties and shall not disclose such information or documents to any person except as otherwise required by law, or with the consent of the person furnishing such information or documents.
Provided that nothing in this sub-clause shall prevent t
(1) The Ombudsman/Deputy Ombudsman shall endeavour to promote settlement of a complaint by agreement between the complainant and the Regulated Entity through facilitation or conciliation or mediation.
(2) The proceedings before the Ombudsman shall be summary in nature and shall not be bound by any rules of evidence. The Ombudsman may examine either party to the complaint and record their statement.
(3) The Regulated Entity shall, on receipt of the complaint, file its written version in reply to the averments in the complaint enclosing therewith copies of the documents relied upon, within 15 days before the Ombudsman for resolution.
Provided that the Ombudsman may, at the request of the Regulated Entity in writing to the satisfaction of the Ombudsman, grant such further time as may be deemed fit to file its written version and documents.
(4) In case the Regulated Entity omits or fails to file its written version and documents within the time as provi
(1) Unless the complaint is rejected under clause 16, the Ombudsman shall pass an Award in the event of:
(a) non-furnishing of documents/information as enumerated in clause 14(4); or
(b) the matter not getting resolved under clause 14(9) based on records placed, and after affording a reasonable opportunity of being heard to both the parties.
(2) The Ombudsman shall also take into account, in addition, the principles of banking law and practice, directions, instructions and guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank from time to time and such other factors as may be relevant, before passing a reasoned Award.
(3) The Award shall contain, inter alia, the direction, if any, to the Regulated Entity for specific performance of its obligations and in addition to or otherwise, the amount, if any, to be paid by the Regulated Entity to the complainant by way of compensation for any loss suffered by the complainant.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-cl
(1) The Deputy Ombudsman or the Ombudsman may reject a complaint at any stage if it appears that the complaint made:
(a) is non-maintainable under clause 10; or
(b) is in the nature of offering suggestions or seeking guidance or explanation
(2) The Ombudsman may reject a complaint at any stage if:
(a) in his opinion there is no deficiency in service; or
(b) the compensation sought for the consequential loss is beyond the power of the Ombudsman to award the compensation as indicated in clause 8(2); or
(c) the complaint is not pursued by the complainant with reasonable diligence; or
(d) the complaint is without any sufficient cause; or
(e) the complaint requires consideration of elaborate documentary and oral evidence and the proceedings before the Ombudsman are not appropriate for adjudication of such complaint; or
(f) in the opinion of the Ombudsman there is no financial loss or damage, or inconvenience caused to the com
(1) There shall not be any right of appeal to a Regulated Entity for an Award issued for non-furnishing of documents/information under clause 15(1)(a).
(2) The Regulated Entity may, aggrieved by an Award under clause 15(1)(b) or closure of a complaint under clauses 16(2)(c) to 16(2)(f), within 30 days of the date of receipt of communication of Award or closure of the complaint, prefer an appeal before the Appellate Authority.
(a) Provided that in the case of an appeal by a Regulated Entity, the period of 30 days for filing an appeal shall commence from the date on which the Regulated Entity receives the letter of acceptance of Award by the complainant:
(b) Provided further that an appeal may be filed by a Regulated Entity only with the previous sanction of the Chairman or the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer or, in their absence, the Executive Director/Official of equal rank.
(c) Provided that the Appellate Authority may, if he is satisfied that
(1) The Regulated Entity to which the Scheme is applicable shall facilitate the smooth conduct of the Scheme by ensuring meticulous adherence to the requirements under the Scheme, failing which, the Reserve Bank may take such action as it may deem fit.
(2) The Regulated Entity shall appoint a Principal Nodal Officer at their head office who shall not be a rank less than a General Manager or an officer of equivalent rank and shall be responsible for representing the Regulated Entity and furnishing information on behalf of the Regulated Entity in respect of complaints filed against the Regulated Entity. The Regulated Entity may appoint such other Nodal Officers to assist the Principal Nodal Officer as it may deem fit for operational efficiency.
(3) The Regulated Entity shall display prominently for the benefit of their customers at their branches/places where the business is transacted, the name and contact details (Telephone/mobile number and E-mail ID) of the Principal
If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of the Scheme, the Reserve Bank may make such provisions not inconsistent with the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, or the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, or the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, or the Scheme, as it may consider necessary or expedient for removing any difficulty.
(1) The Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006, the Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2018, and the Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019, hereby stand repealed.
(2) The adjudication of pending complaints, appeals and execution of the Awards already passed, as on the date of commencement of the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021, shall continue to be governed by the provisions of the respective Ombudsman Schemes and instructions of the Reserve Bank issued thereunder.
Annex |
FORM OF COMPLAINT (TO BE LODGED) WITH THE OMBUDSMAN |
[Clause 11(2) of the Scheme] |
(TO BE FILLED UP BY THE COMPLAINANT) |
All the fields are mandatory except wherever indicated otherwise |
To
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