UAPA Sanctions List Update: Taliban-Linked Entities
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/162 · issued 26 Jul 2013 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI mandates banks to update UNSCR 1988 sanctions list for Taliban-linked individuals/entities, screen new and existing accounts, and freeze assets as per UAPA Order. Compliance must be meticulous.
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
Banks must update their list of bad people and groups linked to the Taliban using the new list from the UN (United Nations).
Before opening a new account, check if the customer's name is on the updated list. If it is, do not open the account.
Check all existing accounts to see if any are owned by or connected to people or groups on the list. If found, freeze their money right away.
Follow the government's rules from August 27, 2009, and the RBI's instructions from September 17, 2009, for freezing accounts.
The Compliance Officer (the person in charge of following rules) must tell the RBI they got this message.
How it plays out — a real example
A KYC & compliance officer in Indore, Priya, receives this RBI circular. She immediately updates her bank's internal sanctions list with the new Taliban-linked names from the UN website. Before approving a new gold loan for a customer, she screens the name against the updated list and finds no match, so she proceeds. Later, she scans her existing loan accounts and discovers one linked to a newly listed entity; she freezes that account's assets following the 2009 procedures.
What changed
RBI updated the UNSCR 1988 sanctions list based on a June 27, 2013 UN Security Council Committee note. Banks must now incorporate these changes into their screening processes for both new and existing accounts.
What it means for you
Banks must ensure no account is held by or linked to newly designated Taliban-linked entities. This tightens KYC/AML compliance and requires immediate freezing of assets for listed individuals/entities, following the September 2009 circular's procedures.
What you must do
Update your internal sanctions list with the latest UNSCR 1988 changes from the UN website.
Screen all new account applications against the updated list before opening.
Scan all existing accounts to identify and freeze any linked to listed entities.
Follow the UAPA Order dated August 27, 2009, and circular DBOD.AML.BC. No. 44/14.01.001/2009-10 for freezing actions.
Acknowledge receipt of this circular via your Compliance Officer/Principal Officer.
Who it affects
All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), Local Area Banks, All India Financial Institutions
❓ Common questions
What is the source of the updated sanctions list?
The list is from the UN Security Council's 1988 Committee, forwarded by the Ministry of External Affairs. Full details are on the UN website: http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1988/list.shtml.
What action is required for existing accounts linked to listed entities?
Banks must freeze funds, financial assets, or economic resources in such accounts, following paragraph 6 of the September 17, 2009 circular.
Who must acknowledge receipt of this circular?
The Compliance Officer or Principal Officer of each bank or financial institution must acknowledge receipt.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/162
DBOD. AML. No. 1416 /14.06.001/2013-14
July 26, 2013
The Chairmen / CEOs of all Scheduled Commercial Banks (Excluding RRBs)/
Local Area Banks / All India Financial Institutions
Dear Sir,
Implementation of Section 51-A of UAPA, 1967 –
Updates of the UNSCR 1988(2011) Sanctions List
Please refer to our circular DBOD. AML. No. 6328 /14.06.001/2012-13 dated October 29, 2012 on the captioned subject. We have since received from Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, UNP Division, copy of note dated June 27, 2013 forwarded by the Chairman of UN Security Council's 1988 Committee ( copy enclosed ) regarding changes made in the “1988 Sanctions List”, i.e. list of Individuals and entities linked to Taliban.
2. Banks/All India Financial Institutions 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. Banks are advised to strictly follow the procedure laid down in the UAPA Order dated August 27, 2009 enclosed to our circular DBOD.AML.BC. No. 44/14.01.001/2009-10 dated September 17, 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 circular dated September 17, 2009, mentioned above.
5. The complete details of the said list are available on the UN website:
http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1988/list.shtml
6. Compliance Officer/Principal Officer should acknowledge receipt of this circular.
Yours faithfully,
(Prakash Chandra Sahoo)
Chief General Manager
Encl: as above
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/162 · issued 26 Jul 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Screen all new account applications against the updated list before opening.
📜 Compliance
Update your internal sanctions list with the latest UNSCR 1988 changes from the UN website.
Scan all existing accounts to identify and freeze any linked to listed entities.
Follow the UAPA Order dated August 27, 2009, and circular DBOD.AML.BC. No. 44/14.01.001/2009-10 for freezing actions.
Acknowledge receipt of this circular via your Compliance Officer/Principal Officer.
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 Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), Local Area Banks, All India Financial Institutions), your first concrete step on “UAPA Sanctions List Update: Taliban-Linked Entities” is: “Update your internal sanctions list with the latest UNSCR 1988 changes from the UN website.” (RBI issued this 26 Jul 2013).
Circular: RBI/2013-14/162 -- UAPA Sanctions List Update: Taliban-Linked Entities
Issued: 26 Jul 2013
Action required: Update your internal sanctions list with the latest UNSCR 1988 changes from the UN website.
Action required: Screen all new account applications against the updated list before opening.
Action required: Scan all existing accounts to identify and freeze any linked to listed entities.
Action required: Follow the UAPA Order dated August 27, 2009, and circular DBOD.AML.BC. No. 44/14.01.001/2009-10 for freezing actions.
Action required: Acknowledge receipt of this circular via your Compliance Officer/Principal Officer.
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=8271&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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