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Disclosure of Complaints and Ombudsman Awards with Financial Results

No longer current — replaced by Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021

Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/266 · issued 22 Feb 2007 · ~2 min read

Quick answerBanks must now place a complaint analysis before their Board and disclose complaint data and unimplemented Banking Ombudsman awards alongside financial results. This enhances transparency and grievance redressal effectiveness.

What changed

RBI mandates that banks place a statement analyzing customer complaints before their Board or Customer Service Committee, focusing on frequent issues, sources, systemic gaps, and corrective actions. Banks must also disclose pending and resolved complaint numbers, as well as unimplemented Banking Ombudsman awards, in their financial results. Additionally, a detailed complaint statement must be published on the bank's website annually.

What it means for you

This directive forces banks to systematically track and analyze complaints, making grievance redressal a board-level priority. Disclosing complaint data and unimplemented Ombudsman awards publicly increases accountability and may pressure banks to resolve issues faster. For lenders, this means tighter internal processes and potential reputational risk if complaint volumes are high or awards remain unimplemented.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Set up a process to compile and analyze complaint data quarterly, focusing on frequent issues, sources, and systemic deficiencies.
Present the complaint analysis to the Board or Customer Service Committee for review and action.
Disclose complaint numbers (pending, received, redressed) and unimplemented Ombudsman awards in financial results.
Publish a detailed complaint statement on the bank's website at the end of each financial year.

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Board of Directors and Customer Service Committees, Customer grievance redressal teams, Compliance and disclosure departments

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Decoded by BankPulse 2026-06-19 17:59 IST
Superseded by — Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021
Status change: superseded 10 Jul 2026, 04:04 IST

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What specific complaint data must be disclosed in financial results?

Banks must disclose the number of complaints pending at the start and end of the year, received during the year, and redressed during the year. Also, unimplemented Banking Ombudsman awards at the start and end of the year, awards passed, and awards implemented during the year.

How should the complaint analysis be structured?

The analysis must identify customer service areas with frequent complaints, frequent sources of complaints, systemic deficiencies, and initiate actions to improve the grievance redressal mechanism.

Is the complaint statement required to be made public?

Yes, banks must place the detailed statement of complaints and its analysis on their website for public information at the end of each financial year.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)

Superseded by Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI

RBI/2006-2007/266

DBOD.No.Leg BC. 60 /09.07.005/2006-07 
 February 
22, 2007 

 All 
Scheduled Commercial Banks
 (excluding RRBs) 
 Dear 
Sir, 
 Analysis 
and Disclosure of complaints -
 Disclosure 
of complaints / unimplemented awards of
 Banking 
Ombudsmen alongwith Financial Results 

 The 
Committee on Procedures and Performance Audit on Public Services (CPPAPS) had 
recommended that banks should place a statement before their Boards analyzing 
the complaints received. CPPAPS had further recommended that the Statement of 
complaints and its analysis should also be disclosed by banks along with their 
financial results. Further, a suggestion has been received that unimplemented 
awards of the Banking Ombudsman should also be disclosed alongwith financial results. 

 2. 
The matter has been examined in the light of enhancing the effectiveness of the 
grievance redressal mechanism and banks are accordingly advised to place a statement 
of complaints before their Boards / Customer Service Committees alongwith an analysis 
of the complaints received. The complaints should be analysed (i) to identify 
customer service areas in which the complaints are frequently received; (ii) to 
identify frequent sources of complaint; (iii) to identify systemic deficiencies; 
and (iv) for initiating appropriate action to make the grievance redressal mechanism 
more effective. 
 3. 
Further, banks are also advised to disclose the following brief details alongwith 
their financial results: 

 A. Customer Complaints 

 (a)

Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/266 · issued 22 Feb 2007. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.

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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=3289&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.