Access to Banking Services – Basic Bank Deposit Account
Financial inclusion has been high on the agenda of the Reserve Bank. With a view to providing fillip to this concept, banks were advised, in November 2005, to make available a basic banking ‘no-frills’ account with either ‘nil’ or very low minimum balance as well as charges that would make such accounts accessible to vast sections of the population. The nomenclature of the account in this manner has tended to signify that these accounts are opened more with a view to indicating achievement of numerical targets under the financial inclusion plans. On a review, it has been decided to modify the guidelines on opening of basic banking ‘no-frills’ accounts with a view to doing away with the stigma associated with the nomenclature and making the basic banking facilities available in a more uniform manner across the banking system. Accordingly, it is proposed that:
- banks should offer a ‘basic savings bank deposit account’ with certain minimum common facilities and without the requirement of minimum balance to all their customers.
Detailed guidelines in this regard will be issued separately.
Extract from Monetary Policy Statement 2012-13 by Dr. D. Subbarao, RBI Governor on 17.04.2012
