The AGR Framework of RBI comprises of RBI Ombudsmen (RBIOs), Consumer Education and Protection Cells (CEPCs) and CEPD. The RBIOs function under the framework of RB-IOS, 2021. The CEPCs take up complaints against REs not falling under the ambit of RB-IOS, 2021. CEPD provides assistance to the Appellate Authority (AA) under the RB-IOS and processes the appeal cases.

RB-IOS, 2021 covers all commercial banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), Payment System Participants, most Primary (Urban) Cooperative Banks, and Credit Information Companies. The REs covered under the RB-IOS, 2021 are listed under Question 11.

An RBI Ombudsman is a senior official of RBI appointed by RBI to redress the complaints from customers of the REs against “deficiency in service”, as defined under Clause 3(1)(g) of the RB-IOS, 2021. “Deficiency in service” means a shortcoming or an inadequacy in any financial service or such other services related thereto, which the RE is required to provide statutorily or otherwise, which may or may not result in financial loss or damage to the customer.

The Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021 (RB-IOS, 2021/ the Scheme) was launched on November 12, 2021. It integrates the erstwhile three Ombudsman schemes of RBI namely, (i) the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006; (ii) the Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2018; and (iii) the Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019. These schemes had limited and different grounds of complaints and limited coverage of REs, apart from jurisdiction related restrictions. RB-IOS, 2021 provides for cost-free redress of customer complaints involving deficiency in services rendered by entities regulated by RBI, if not resolved to the satisfaction of the customers or not replied to within a period of 30 days by the RE.

In addition to integrating the three existing schemes, the Scheme also includes under its ambit additional REs, namely, Non-Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks with a deposit size of ₹50 crore and above and Credit Information Companies. The Scheme adopts ‘One Nation One Ombudsman’ approach by making the RBI’s Ombudsman mechanism jurisdiction neutral.

A Deputy Ombudsman is a senior officer appointed by RBI to assist the RBI Ombudsman (refer Question 4) in matters of resolution of complaints and in handling certain complaints and the functions entrusted under the Scheme. The Deputy Ombudsman endeavors to promote settlement of a complaint by agreement between the complainant and the RE through facilitation or conciliation or mediation and dispose complaints as discussed in Question 24.

Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre (CRPC) has been set up at RBI, Chandigarh for receiving complaints through physical mode (letter/post). The CRPC undertakes initial scrutiny and processing of these complaints, uploads them on CMS, which are then assigned to Offices of RBI Ombudsmen (ORBIOs) or CEPCs for redressal. Please refer to Question 15 and 16 for further details.

Yes. A complaint can be filed through an authorized representative of the complainant (other than through an advocate). Such complaints should be submitted along with an authorization in the Form prescribed in the Scheme {containing details of the representative, i.e. Name, address, mobile number (mandatory to receive notifications) and e-mail}.

No, complaints cannot be filed through Contact Center, but the Contact Centre can assist the complainant in filing the complaint through CMS portal or physical mode. It will also provide clarifications about/ details of the AGR mechanism set up by RBI.

Presently, Offices of RBI Ombudsmen (ORBIOs) are functioning from 22 locations across India. However, the complainants need not contact/ approach any specified ORBIO for filing a complaint under the RB-IOS, 2021. The complaints lodged directly online through CMS Portal (https://cms.rbi.org.in) are automatically allocated to different RBI Ombudsmen for redressal upon registration of the complaint. Physical and email complaints are processed and entered in CMS for further processing, after seeking further information/ details, if missing, from the complainant.

The following REs of RBI are covered under the RB-IOS, 2021:

(i) Banks: All commercial banks, including Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks, Foreign Banks, Local Area Banks, Small Finance Banks, Payment Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks and Non-scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks with deposit size of ₹50 Crore and above, as on the date of the audited balance sheet of the previous financial year;

(ii) NBFCs registered with RBI: All Non-Banking Financial Companies (excluding Housing Finance Companies) which (a) are authorized to accept deposits; or (b) have customer interface, with an assets size of ₹100 crore and above as on the date of the audited balance sheet of the previous financial year;

Note: Core Investment Companies, Infrastructure Debt Fund-Non-banking Financial Companies, Non-Banking Financial Companies-Infrastructure Finance Companies, companies in resolution or winding up / liquidation, or any other NBFC specified by RBI are excluded from the ambit of the RB-IOS, 2021.

(iii) System Participants: All Payment System Participants - banks as well as non-banks regulated by RBI are covered under the RB-IOS, 2021. These entities issue Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) and facilitate transactions over National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) / Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) / Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) / Unified Payments Interface (UPI) / Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) / Bharat QR Code / *99# mobile transaction service using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) / Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS), etc.

(iv) Credit Information Companies: All Credit Information Companies as defined in the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013) and granted a Certificate of Registration under sub-section (2) of section 5 of the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005 (30 of 2005).

The list of entities, periodically updated, covered under the RB-IOS, 2021 is available at https://cms.rbi.org.in/cms/assets/Documents/RBIO_English_Portal.pdf.