Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/215 · issued 18 Sep 2012 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI directs all Primary Urban Co-operative Banks to update the UN Al-Qaida sanctions list, screen new and existing accounts against it, and follow UAPA freezing procedures. Compliance officers must acknowledge receipt to the 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 new UN Al-Qaida list from the UN website.
Before opening any new account, check if the customer's name is on that list – if yes, do not open the account.
Check all existing accounts against the updated list; if you find a match, freeze (stop all use of) their money and assets as per the 2009 RBI rules.
The Compliance Officer (person in charge of following rules) must send a 'got it' message to the RBI regional office.
How it plays out — a real example
Meera, a compliance officer at a small urban co-operative bank in Surat, receives this RBI circular. She immediately updates her bank's sanctions list with the new UN Al-Qaida names, then screens all 500 existing loan and savings accounts. She finds one account matching a newly listed entity, freezes it, and sends the acknowledgment to the RBI regional office before lunch.
What changed
RBI has forwarded a June 21, 2012 UN Security Council update to the Al-Qaida Sanctions List. Banks must now use this updated list for customer screening and account freezing actions as per earlier UAPA orders.
What it means for you
Urban co-operative banks must immediately update their internal sanctions lists and ensure no new account is opened for any listed individual or entity. Existing accounts must be scanned, and any matches must trigger freezing of funds and assets as per the 2009 UAPA procedure.
What you must do
Update your internal sanctions database with the latest UN Al-Qaida list from the provided UN website.
Screen all new account applications against the updated list before opening accounts.
Scan all existing accounts to identify any matches with the updated list.
Freeze funds and assets of matched accounts as per paragraph 7 of the November 16, 2009 circular.
Compliance Officer/Principal Officer must acknowledge receipt of this circular to the concerned RBI regional office.
Who it affects
All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Compliance Officers and Principal Officers of UCBs
❓ Common questions
What is the source of the updated sanctions list?
The list is the UN Security Council's 1267/1989 Committee Al-Qaida Sanctions List, available on the UN website at http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/aq_sanctions_list.shtml.
What actions are required for existing accounts that match the list?
Banks must freeze the funds, financial assets, or economic resources held in such accounts, following the procedure detailed in paragraph 7 of the November 16, 2009 circular.
Who needs to acknowledge this circular?
The Compliance Officer or Principal Officer of each Primary Urban Co-operative Bank must send an acknowledgment to the respective RBI regional office.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2012-13/215
UBD.BPD (PCB) Cir. No. 10/14.01.062/2012-13
September 18, 2012
The Chief Executive Officer of
All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks
Madam/Dear Sir,
Implementation of Section 51-A of UAPA, 1967- Updates of the UNSCR 1267 (1999)/1989 (2011) Committee’s Al Qaida Sanctions List – Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks
Please refer to our circular UBD.BPD (PCB) Cir. No.1/14.01.062/2012-13 dated July 05, 2012 . We have since received from Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, UNP Division, copy of note dated June 21, 2012 ( copy enclosed ) forwarded by the Chairman of UN Security Council's 1267/1989 Committee regarding changes made in the ‘Al-Qaida Sanctions List’, i.e. list of individuals and entities linked to Al-Qaida.
2. Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks are required to update the list of individuals/entities as circulated by 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. Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks are advised to strictly follow the procedure laid down in the UAPA Order dated August 27, 2009 enclosed to our circular UBD.CO.BPD. PCB. Cir. No. 21/12.05.001/2009-10 dated November 16, 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 7 of the circular dated November 16, 2009, mentioned above.
5. The complete details of the said 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 circular to the Regional Office concerned.
Yours faithfully,
(Scenta Joy)
Deputy General Manager
Encl: As above
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/215 · issued 18 Sep 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 database with the latest UN Al-Qaida list from the provided UN website.
Scan all existing accounts to identify any matches with the updated list.
Freeze funds and assets of matched accounts as per paragraph 7 of the November 16, 2009 circular.
Compliance Officer/Principal Officer must acknowledge receipt of this circular to the concerned 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 Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Compliance Officers and Principal Officers of UCBs), your first concrete step on “UCBs: Update Al-Qaida Sanctions List Under UAPA” is: “Update your internal sanctions database with the latest UN Al-Qaida list from the provided UN website.” (RBI issued this 18 Sep 2012).
Circular: RBI/2012-13/215 -- UCBs: Update Al-Qaida Sanctions List Under UAPA
Issued: 18 Sep 2012
Action required: Update your internal sanctions database with the latest UN Al-Qaida list from the provided UN website.
Action required: Screen all new account applications against the updated list before opening accounts.
Action required: Scan all existing accounts to identify any matches with the updated list.
Action required: Freeze funds and assets of matched accounts as per paragraph 7 of the November 16, 2009 circular.
Action required: Compliance Officer/Principal Officer must acknowledge receipt of this circular to the concerned RBI 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=7577&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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