What are RBI Guidelines on Use of Local Language in Banks? Download RBI Circular PDF
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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had released a circular regarding use of local language in Banks. In 2022, a question regarding the same was asked in Parliament.
The Government Replied: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vide its master circular on “Customer Service in Banks”, dated 1st July, 2015, has issued instructions to all Scheduled Commercial Banks, regarding the usage of trilingual forms i.e., English, Hindi and regional languages in all printed material used by the retail customers, including, inter alia, account opening forms, loan application forms, in order to ensure that banking facilities percolate to the vast sections of the population.
RBI has also advised the banks to have a Board approved policy for general management of the branches including, inter alia, the following aspects:
(i) Displaying indicator boards at all the counters in English, Hindi as well as in the concerned regional language.
(ii) Availability of booklets consisting of all details of service and facilities in Hindi, English and concerned regional language.
(iii) Availability of the customer usage options in multi-languages in ATMs.
(iv) Availability of customer redressal in Hindi, English and concerned regional language.
RBI has informed that compliance to said RBI guidelines issued to banks is examined on sample basis during the Supervisory Assessment of the banks and any non-compliance observed is taken up for rectification apart from initiating supervisory/enforcement action against the bank, as deemed fit. RBI has advised their Senior Supervisory Managers to examine the compliance and appropriately factor in the inspection report of the bank. Also, RBI officials during incognito visits of bank branches, verify whether deposit slips/cash withdrawals slips/passbooks etc. are printed in trilingual forms. Further, engagement of locally settled Business Correspondents (BCs)/ Bank Mitras (BMs), who are conversant in local language, has facilitated customers’ awareness of bank products, and of their easy access to services.
The adoption of vernacular languages in customer interface through technology/digital based channels like mobile/Internet banking, ATMs, etc. has led to significant improvement in digital adoption, Jan Dhan Aadhar Yojna and Financial Inclusion.
What is the view of RBI on the cases like forcing a banker to speak regional language?
The tri-language facilities must have been followed by the banks in states where regional languages are used their state languages, nowadays there are more CSPs than the branches in the banks run by locals and local staff are also availableie in all branches to work as interpreter…but what about the security of staff and unauthorized photography and videography by the customers??
Photography inside a branch is generally prohibited. Security of staff isquite vague though. Most of branches have CCTV , some have guards. For criminal activity or intimidation one has to approach Police