UCBs: Settle Uttarakhand disaster missing persons' claims with death certificate only
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/349 · issued 30 Oct 2013 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI directs Urban Co-operative Banks to settle claims of persons missing in the June 2013 Uttarakhand disaster using only the death certificate issued under MHA circular and a letter of indemnity, without additional documentation.
The rule, in the simplest words
For claims about people missing in the Uttarakhand disaster (June 2013), banks must accept only two things: a death certificate from the government officer named in the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) circular, and a letter of indemnity (a promise to repay if something goes wrong).
Banks cannot ask for any other papers or documents for these claims.
For missing people not from this disaster, banks must follow the old rules from the 2008 circular.
How it plays out — a real example
A co-operative bank branch officer in Dehradun receives a claim from a customer whose brother went missing in the June 2013 Uttarakhand floods. The officer remembers the RBI rule and asks only for the MHA-issued death certificate and a letter of indemnity, settling the claim quickly without extra paperwork, which makes the relieved customer grateful.
What changed
RBI issued a circular on October 30, 2013, instructing UCBs to follow a simplified claim settlement process for missing persons from the Uttarakhand natural disaster. Banks must accept the death certificate issued by the designated officer under the MHA circular and a letter of indemnity as sufficient documentation.
What it means for you
UCBs can now process claims for missing persons in the Uttarakhand disaster without requiring multiple documents, reducing customer hardship. This streamlines operations but requires banks to verify the death certificate's authenticity and ensure indemnity letters are properly executed. For other missing person cases, the earlier 2008 circular remains applicable.
What you must do
Accept only the MHA-designated death certificate and letter of indemnity for claims related to the Uttarakhand disaster missing persons.
Verify that the death certificate is issued by the designated officer under the MHA circular dated August 16, 2013.
Apply the existing 2008 circular on missing persons for all other cases not covered by this MHA circular.
Train staff on the simplified documentation process to ensure quick claim settlement.
Who it affects
All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Customers with missing relatives in the Uttarakhand June 2013 disaster
❓ Common questions
What documents are needed to settle claims for missing persons in the Uttarakhand disaster?
Only two documents: the death certificate issued by the designated officer under the MHA circular and a letter of indemnity. No other documentation is required.
Does this circular apply to missing persons from other disasters?
No, it applies only to persons missing due to the Uttarakhand natural disaster in June 2013. For other cases, banks must follow the earlier circular from May 12, 2008.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/349
UBD.BPD. (PCB) CIR No.34/13.01.000/2013-14
October 30, 2013
The Chief Executive Officers of All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks
Madam/Dear Sir,
Settlement of Claims in respect of Missing Persons in Uttarakhand Disaster
In the aftermath of Uttarakhand Natural Disaster during June 14-20, 2013, the Office of the Registrar General of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has devised a procedure for Registration of Death of Missing persons in Natural Calamities affected areas in Uttarakhand vide its circular F.No.1/2/(Uttarakhand)/ 2011-VS-CRS dated August 16, 2013 (MHA Circular). A copy of MHA Circular is enclosed for reference. The MHA Circular has devised detailed procedure for registration and issue of ‘Death Certificate’ of a person reportedly missing since his/her visit to the site of disaster in Uttarakhand in June 2013.
2. In view of the above, Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) are advised to settle the claims in respect of missing persons, covered by MHA Circular, without insisting on production of any documentation other than (i) the ‘Death Certificate’ issued by the Designated Officer under MHA Circular and (ii) letter of indemnity.
3. UCBs are further advised that the provisions of circular UBD.(PCB).BPD.Cir.No. 45/13.01.000/2007-08 dated May 12, 2008 on ‘Settlement of claims in respect of missing persons’ would be applicable in other cases which are not covered by MHA Circular.
Yours faithfully,
(A.K.Bera)
Principal Chief General Manager
Encl: As above.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/349 · issued 30 Oct 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Train staff on the simplified documentation process to ensure quick claim settlement.
📜 Compliance
Accept only the MHA-designated death certificate and letter of indemnity for claims related to the Uttarakhand disaster missing persons.
Verify that the death certificate is issued by the designated officer under the MHA circular dated August 16, 2013.
Apply the existing 2008 circular on missing persons for all other cases not covered by this MHA circular.
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, Customers with missing relatives in the Uttarakhand June 2013 disaster), your first concrete step on “UCBs: Settle Uttarakhand disaster missing persons' claims with death certificate only” is: “Accept only the MHA-designated death certificate and letter of indemnity for claims related to the Uttarakhand disaster missing persons.” (RBI issued this 30 Oct 2013).
Circular: RBI/2013-14/349 -- UCBs: Settle Uttarakhand disaster missing persons' claims with death certificate only
Issued: 30 Oct 2013
Action required: Accept only the MHA-designated death certificate and letter of indemnity for claims related to the Uttarakhand disaster missing persons.
Action required: Verify that the death certificate is issued by the designated officer under the MHA circular dated August 16, 2013.
Action required: Apply the existing 2008 circular on missing persons for all other cases not covered by this MHA circular.
Action required: Train staff on the simplified documentation process to ensure quick claim settlement.
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=8543&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.
Help us keep this accurate
Found an inaccuracy or have an improvement? Tell us. Every report is reviewed by our team before any change is made — nothing goes live unverified.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗
BANKPULSE · FREE DAILY BRIEF
Get RBI updates for your role
Every important RBI update, decoded in plain English — for your career, exams & financial awareness.
We collect only your email, name and role, used solely to send your brief — never sold or shared. Withdraw anytime via the unsubscribe link in any email. Independent platform, not affiliated with the RBI. Information, not legal advice.
REPORT AN ERROR · BETA
Spotted an error? Earn 500 BankPulse Credits
Help us stay accurate. If your correction is verified true and approved by our founder, you earn 500 BankPulse Credits — redeemable when the platform monetises.
Reviewed by a human before any credit is awarded. We never change the site from crowd input without verification.
WANT A NEW FEATURE · BETA
What would make BankPulse more useful for you?
Tell us what to build next — a tool, a data view, a role page, anything. We read every suggestion.
Thank you — your ideas directly shape what we build.