Prevention of Money-laundering Second Amendment Rules, 2010 - Obligation of Authorised Persons
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/311 · issued 13 Dec 2010 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI circular directs compliance with the Prevention of Money-laundering Second Amendment Rules, 2010, requiring authorised persons to identify beneficial owners, exercise ongoing due diligence, and treat any failure as non-compliance with FEMA directions.
The rule, in the simplest words
Authorised persons must identify beneficial owners behind clients.
They must continuously monitor transactions for consistency with client profiles.
Non-compliance with these Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules will be treated as failure to comply with RBI directions under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of FEMA 1999.
How it plays out — a real example
A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore, Mr. Kumar, must verify the identity of a new client, Mrs. Rao, and ensure that all transactions are consistent with her profile. If he fails to do so, it will be treated as a violation of RBI directions, and he may face penalties.
What changed
The Government amended the Prevention of Money-laundering Rules, 2005 via notification dated June 16, 2010. Key changes include a new explanation that transactions financing terrorism are covered, substituted rules 9(1A), 9(1B), and 9(1C) requiring identification of beneficial owners, ongoing due diligence, and prohibition of anonymous accounts, and inserted rule 9(1D) for review of due diligence when suspicions arise, plus an explanation in rule 10 on records of identity and cessation of transactions.
What it means for you
Banking companies, financial institutions, and intermediaries must now explicitly identify beneficial owners behind clients and continuously monitor transactions for consistency with client profiles. Non-compliance with these AML rules for foreign exchange transactions will be treated as failure to comply with RBI directions under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of FEMA 1999.
What you must do
Update internal AML/KYC policies to incorporate the new beneficial owner identification and ongoing due diligence requirements.
Train staff handling forex transactions on the expanded definition of terrorism financing and enhanced monitoring obligations.
Ensure systems can flag transactions linked to terrorism financing and verify beneficial ownership for all clients.
Review compliance frameworks to treat any failure under these rules as a FEMA violation for reporting and penalty purposes.
Who it affects
All authorised persons, Banking companies, Financial institutions and intermediaries covered under PMLA
❓ Common questions
What is the key change in the Second Amendment Rules 2010?
The amendment inserts an explanation covering transactions financing terrorism, substitutes rules 9(1A), 9(1B), and 9(1C) to mandate identification of beneficial owners, ongoing due diligence, and prohibition of anonymous accounts, inserts rule 9(1D) for review of due diligence when suspicions arise, and adds an explanation in rule 10 on records of identity and cessation of transactions.
Do these rules apply only to new clients or existing ones too?
The ongoing due diligence requirement applies to every business relationship with every client, so existing clients are also subject to review for beneficial ownership and transaction consistency.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2010-11/311
A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 24
A.P. (FL/RL Series) Circular No. 05
December 13, 2010
To,
All Authorised Persons
Madam/ Sir,
Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records of the Nature and Value of Transactions, the Procedure and Manner of Maintaining and Time for Furnishing Information and Verification and Maintenance of Records of the Identity of the Clients of the Banking Companies, Financial Institutions and Intermediaries) Second Amendment Rules, 2010-Obligation of Authorised Persons
The Government of India vide its Notification No. 10/2010-E.S./F.No.6/8/2009-E.S. dated June 16, 2010, has amended the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records of the Nature and Value of Transactions, the Procedure and Manner of Maintaining and Time for Furnishing Information and Verification and Maintenance of Records of the Identity of the Clients of the Banking Companies, Financial Institutions and Intermediaries) Rules, 2005. A copy of the Notification is enclosed for information and necessary compliance.
2. Any failure to comply with the requirements of the said Rules as amended, to the extent they are applicable to foreign exchange transactions, shall also be treated as failure to comply with the directions issued by the Reserve Bank of India under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.
Yours faithfully,
(Salim Gangadharan)
Chief General Manager-in-Charge
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(Department of Revenue)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 16th June, 2010
THE GAZETTE OF INDIA: EXTRAORDINARY Part II- Sec. 3 (i)
G.S.R. 508(E)- In exercise of the powers conferred by sub - section(1) read with clause(h), clause(i), clause(j) clause(k) of sub- section 2 of section 73 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (15 of 2003), the Central Government, in consultation with Reserve Bank of India, hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records of the Nature and Value of Transactions, the Procedure and Manner of Maintaining and Time for Furnishing Information and Verification and Maintenance of Records of the Identity of the Clients of the Banking Companies, Financial Institutions and Intermediaries) Rules, 2005, namely :-
1. (1) These rules may be called Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records of the Nature and Value of Transactions, the Procedure and Manner of Maintaining and Time for Furnishing Information and Verification and Maintenance of Records of the Identity of the Clients of the Banking Companies, Financial Institutions and Intermediaries) Second Amendment Rules, 2010.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records of the Nature and Value of Transactions, the Procedure and Manner of Maintaining and Time for Furnishing Information and Verification and Maintenance of Records of the Identity of the Clients of the Banking Companies, Financial Institutions and Intermediaries) Rules, 2005:-
(a) in rule 2 in sub-rule (1), after clause (g), the following Explanation shall be inserted, namely:-
Explanation:- Transaction involving financing of the activities relating to terrorism includes transaction involving funds suspected to be linked or related to, or to be used for terrorism, terrorist act or by a terrorist, terrorist organisation or those who finance or are attempting to financing of terrorism."
(b) in rule 9, for sub- rule (1A), the following sub- rule shall be substituted, namely:-
"(1A) Every banking company, financial institution and Intermediary, as the case may be, shall determine whether a client is acting on behalf of a beneficial owner, identify the beneficial owner and take all reasonable steps to verify his identity."
(c) in rule 9, for sub- rule (1B), the following sub - rule shall be substituted, namely:-
"(1B) Every banking company, financial institution and Intermediary, as the case may be, shall exercise ongoing due diligence with respect to the business relationship with every client and closely examine the transactions in order to ensure that they are consistent with their knowledge of the client, his business and risk profile and where necessary, the source of funds."
(d) in rule 9, for sub- rule (1C), the following sub- rule shall be substituted, namely:-
"(1C) No banking company, financial institution and Intermediary, as the case may be, shall allow the opening of or keep any anonymous account or account in fictitious names or account on behalf of other persons whose identity has not been disclosed or cannot be verified."
(e) in rule 9, after sub -rule (1C), the following sub- rule shall be inserted, namely:-
"(1D) When there are suspicions of money laundering or financing of the activities relating to terrorism or where there are doubts about the adequacy or veracity of previously obtained customer identification data, every banking company, financial institution and Intermediary shall review the due diligence measures including verifying again the identity of the client and obtaining information on the purpose and intended nature of the business relationship, as the case may be."
(f) in rule 10, after sub- rule (3), the following Explanation shall be inserted, namely:-
"Explanation: For the purpose of this rule:-
(i) the expression 'records of the identity of clients' shall include records of the identification data, account files and business correspondence.
(ii) the expression 'cessation of the transactions' means termination of an account or business relationship."
[Notification No. 10/2010- E. S. / F. No. 6/8/2009-E.S.]
S. R. MEENA, Under Secretary
Note - The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India , Extraordinary, Part II , Section 3 , sub- section (i) vide number G.S.R. 444( E), dated the 1st July 2005 and subsequently amended by G.S.R.717( E) dated the 13th December 2005, G.S.R. 389( E) dated the 24 th May, 2007, G.S.R. 816(E) dated the 12th November 2009 and G.S.R. 76( E) dated the 12th February 2010.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/311 · issued 13 Dec 2010. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Ensure systems can flag transactions linked to terrorism financing and verify beneficial ownership for all clients.
📜 Compliance
Update internal AML/KYC policies to incorporate the new beneficial owner identification and ongoing due diligence requirements.
Train staff handling forex transactions on the expanded definition of terrorism financing and enhanced monitoring obligations.
Review compliance frameworks to treat any failure under these rules as a FEMA violation for reporting and penalty purposes.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All authorised persons, Banking companies, Financial institutions and intermediaries covered under PMLA), your first concrete step on “Prevention of Money-laundering Second Amendment Rules, 2010 - Obligation of Authorised Persons” is: “Update internal AML/KYC policies to incorporate the new beneficial owner identification and ongoing due diligence requirements.” (RBI issued this 13 Dec 2010).
Circular: RBI/2010-11/311 -- Prevention of Money-laundering Second Amendment Rules, 2010 - Obligation of Authorised Persons
Issued: 13 Dec 2010
Action required: Update internal AML/KYC policies to incorporate the new beneficial owner identification and ongoing due diligence requirements.
Action required: Train staff handling forex transactions on the expanded definition of terrorism financing and enhanced monitoring obligations.
Action required: Ensure systems can flag transactions linked to terrorism financing and verify beneficial ownership for all clients.
Action required: Review compliance frameworks to treat any failure under these rules as a FEMA violation for reporting and penalty purposes.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
💬 Banker Discussion
Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 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=6144&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.
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