UAPA Sanctions: Update Al-Qaida List for New & Existing Accounts
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/412 · issued 27 Feb 2012 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI directs co-operative banks and RRBs to update their UN Al-Qaida sanctions list, screen new customers, and scan existing accounts for matches. Freeze assets of listed individuals/entities per earlier UAPA orders. Acknowledge receipt to your Regional Office.
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
Update your bank's list of bad people (sanctions list) with the newest Al-Qaida names from the UN website.
Check every new person who wants to open an account against this list before saying yes.
Look at all your current customers' accounts to see if any match the updated list.
If you find a match, freeze (lock) their money and stuff right away, as told in earlier rules.
Your compliance officer (the person in charge of following rules) must say 'got it' to your regional RBI office.
How it plays out — a real example
A compliance officer at a co-operative bank in Nagpur receives this RBI circular. She immediately downloads the latest UN Al-Qaida list from the UN website, updates her bank's screening system, and runs a check on all 5,000 existing accounts. She finds one account matching a newly listed name, freezes it, and reports to her regional RBI office, ensuring her bank stays compliant.
What changed
RBI has circulated the latest UN Security Council 1267/1989 Committee's Al-Qaida Sanctions List update, received via Ministry of External Affairs on February 23, 2012. Banks must now use this updated list for customer screening and account monitoring.
What it means for you
Co-operative banks and RRBs must immediately incorporate the revised UN sanctions list into their AML/KYC checks. Failure to identify and freeze accounts of listed entities could lead to regulatory action. This reinforces the government's commitment to combating terrorist financing under UAPA, 1967.
What you must do
Update your internal sanctions list with the latest UN Al-Qaida Sanctions List from the UN website.
Screen all new account applications against the updated list before opening accounts.
Scan all existing customer accounts to identify any matches with the updated list.
Freeze funds and financial assets of any matched individuals/entities as per earlier UAPA circulars.
Ensure your Compliance Officer/Principal Officer acknowledges receipt of this circular to your Regional Office.
Who it affects
State Co-operative Banks, Central Co-operative Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Compliance Officers / Principal Officers of these banks
❓ Common questions
Where can I find the latest Al-Qaida Sanctions List?
The complete consolidated list is available on the UN website at http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/aq_sanctions_list.shtml. Use this for updating your internal records.
What action is required if we find a match in an existing account?
You must freeze the funds, financial assets, or economic resources held in that account, following the procedure detailed in paragraph 6 of the earlier UAPA circulars (dated October 29, 2009 and November 5, 2009).
Do we need to report back to RBI after updating the list?
Yes, your Compliance Officer/Principal Officer must acknowledge receipt of this circular to the concerned Regional Office of RBI.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2011-12/412
RPCD.CO RRB.RCB.AML.No.8566 /03.05.28(A)/2011-12
February 27, 2012
The Chairmen / CEOs of all State and Central Co-operative Banks
and Regional Rural Banks
Dear Sir,
Implementation of Section 51-A of UAPA, 1967
Updates of the UNSCR 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) Committee's Al-Qaida Sanctions List
Please refer to our circular RPCD.CO.RCB.AML.NO.7695 /07.02.12 /2011-12 dated February 1, 2012 . We have since received from Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, UNP Division copy of note dated February 23, 2012 forwarded by the Chairman of UN Security Council's 1267/1989 Committee ( copy enclosed ) regarding changes made in the “Al-Qaida Sanctions List”, i.e. list of Individuals and entities linked to Al-Qaida.
2. State and Central Co-operative Banks and Regional Rural Banks are required to update the list of individuals/entities as circulated by the Reserve Bank and before opening any new account, it should be ensured that the name/s of the proposed customer does not appear in the list. Further, Banks should scan all existing accounts to ensure that no account is held by or linked to any of the entities or individuals included in the list.
3. Banks are advised to strictly follow the procedure laid down in the UAPA Order dated August 27, 2009 enclosed to our circular RPCD.CO.RF.AML. BC. No. 34/07.40.00/ 2009-10 dated October 29, 2009 and RPCD.CO.RRB.No.39/03.05.33 (E)/2009-10 dated November 05, 2009 and ensure meticulous compliance to the Order issued by the Government.
4. As far as freezing of funds, financial assets or economic resources or related services held in the form of bank accounts of the designated individuals/entities are concerned, action should be taken as detailed in paragraph 6 of the circulars mentioned in paragraph 3 above.
5. The complete details of the said consolidated list are available on the UN website:
http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/aq_sanctions_list.shtml
6. 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/2011-12/412 · issued 27 Feb 2012. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Screen all new account applications against the updated list before opening accounts.
📜 Compliance
Update your internal sanctions list with the latest UN Al-Qaida Sanctions List from the UN website.
Scan all existing customer accounts to identify any matches with the updated list.
Freeze funds and financial assets of any matched individuals/entities as per earlier UAPA circulars.
Ensure your Compliance Officer/Principal Officer acknowledges receipt of this circular to your 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 Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (State Co-operative Banks, Central Co-operative Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Compliance Officers / Principal Officers of these banks), your first concrete step on “UAPA Sanctions: Update Al-Qaida List for New & Existing Accounts” is: “Update your internal sanctions list with the latest UN Al-Qaida Sanctions List from the UN website.” (RBI issued this 27 Feb 2012).
Circular: RBI/2011-12/412 -- UAPA Sanctions: Update Al-Qaida List for New & Existing Accounts
Issued: 27 Feb 2012
Action required: Update your internal sanctions list with the latest UN Al-Qaida Sanctions List from the UN website.
Action required: Screen all new account applications against the updated list before opening accounts.
Action required: Scan all existing customer accounts to identify any matches with the updated list.
Action required: Freeze funds and financial assets of any matched individuals/entities as per earlier UAPA circulars.
Action required: Ensure your Compliance Officer/Principal Officer acknowledges receipt of this circular to your Regional Office.
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=7025&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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