Home › Circulars › RBI/2011-12/362

RRBs Must Screen Accounts Against UNSCR 1929 Sanctions List

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/362 · issued 24 Jan 2012 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI directs all RRBs to cross-check account openings and existing transactions against the UNSCR 1929 sanctions list published in the Gazette of India. Any matching accounts must be reported to RBI and FIU-India immediately.
Sanctions-list safety note. This circular refers to a specific UN Security Council / UAPA designated-entities list update as it stood on the date above — sanctions lists change often, and a newer update almost certainly exists today. Never use this page, or any single dated circular, as your current screening list. Always screen against the live, current list at the official UAPA proscribed-organisations list and the UN Consolidated List, and confirm the obligations for your bank on the official rbi.org.in source below.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A payments & clearing officer in Indore is opening a new account for a customer. She pulls up the Gazette of India list on her computer and checks the customer's name. It matches a name on the list, so she immediately reports the account to RBI and FIU-IND, following the rule exactly.

What changed

RBI issued a circular on January 24, 2012, enclosing the Ministry of External Affairs Order of November 4, 2011, which implements UN Security Council Resolution 1929 (2010) on non-proliferation. RRBs are now required to actively screen all account applications and existing transactions against the listed individuals/entities.

What it means for you

RRBs must enhance their AML/KYC checks to include the UN sanctions list. Failure to identify and report matching accounts could lead to regulatory action. This aligns Indian RRBs with global non-proliferation efforts and strengthens the financial system's integrity.

What you must do

Who it affects

All Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Compliance Officers and Principal Officers of RRBs, AML/KYC teams at RRBs

❓ Common questions

What is the source of the sanctions list we need to check against?

The list is from the Ministry of External Affairs Order dated November 4, 2011, published in the Gazette of India, implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1929 (2010) on non-proliferation.

What should we do if we find a match or resemblance?

You must report those accounts to both the Reserve Bank of India and the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) immediately.

Who needs to acknowledge receipt of this circular?

The Compliance Officer or Principal Officer of the RRB must acknowledge receipt to the concerned RBI Regional Office.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2011-12/362 RPCD.CO RRB.AML.No.7306/03.05.28(A)/2011-12 January 24, 2012 The Chairmen All Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) Dear Sir, Implementation of UNSCR 1929 (2010) on Non-proliferation Government of India Order of November 04, 2011 Please find enclosed a copy of Ministry of External Affairs Order dated November 4, 2011 published in the Gazette of India on implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929 (2010). 2. Utmost care should be taken by RRBs to ensure to cross check all account opening applications and transactions carried out in the existing accounts with the list of individuals / entities enlisted in the Gazette and report those accounts to Reserve Bank of India and Financial Intelligence Unit-India which bear resemblance with the individuals / entities listed therein. 3.  Compliance Officer/Principal Officer should acknowledge receipt of this letter to our Regional Office concerned. Yours faithfully (I.S.Negi) General Manager Encls: As above
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/362 · issued 24 Jan 2012. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Most relevant forCompliance TeamKYC / AML AnalystBranch Operations (Accounts / FD / CASA)Branch Manager — PSU / Co-op / RRB (sanctioning powers)Teller / Cashier / Customer Service OfficerInternal Audit
🛠 Banker’s toolkit — checklists & reply templates →
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Who does what — compliance checklist
🏦 Branch Manager
  • Cross-check all new account opening applications and existing account transactions against the individuals/entities listed in the Gazette of India notification.
📜 Compliance
  • Report any accounts that match or resemble the listed entities to RBI and Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) immediately.
  • Ensure the Compliance Officer/Principal Officer acknowledges receipt of this circular to the respective RBI Regional Office.
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 Branch Manager at a bank this circular applies to (All Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Compliance Officers and Principal Officers of RRBs, AML/KYC teams at RRBs), your first concrete step on “RRBs Must Screen Accounts Against UNSCR 1929 Sanctions List” is: “Cross-check all new account opening applications and existing account transactions against the individuals/entities listed in the Gazette of India notification.” (RBI issued this 24 Jan 2012).

  1. Circular: RBI/2011-12/362 -- RRBs Must Screen Accounts Against UNSCR 1929 Sanctions List
  2. Issued: 24 Jan 2012
  3. Action required: Cross-check all new account opening applications and existing account transactions against the individuals/entities listed in the Gazette of India notification.
  4. Action required: Report any accounts that match or resemble the listed entities to RBI and Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) immediately.
  5. Action required: Ensure the Compliance Officer/Principal Officer acknowledges receipt of this circular to the respective RBI Regional Office.
  6. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  7. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  8. 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

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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=6959&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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