HomeCirculars › RBI/2013-14/94

KYC/AML/CFT Master Circular: Section 51A Implementation

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/94 · issued 01 Jul 2013 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI consolidated KYC/AML/CFT guidelines up to June 30, 2013, including procedures under Section 51A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for freezing assets. Banks must follow customer identification, transaction monitoring, and reporting to combat terrorism financing.
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.

What changed

This master circular consolidates all previous KYC/AML/CFT instructions issued up to June 30, 2013, into a single document. It includes updated guidelines on customer due diligence, monitoring suspicious transactions, and freezing assets under Section 51A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

What it means for you

Banks must ensure their KYC policies are board-approved and aligned with FATF recommendations. Non-compliance with these guidelines can attract penalties under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The circular reinforces the obligation to report suspicious transactions and freeze assets of designated individuals/entities.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), All India Financial Institutions, Local Area Banks

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What is the legal basis for these KYC/AML guidelines?

These guidelines are issued under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and Rule 7 of the Prevention of Money-Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005.

What happens if a bank fails to comply with these instructions?

Any contravention or non-compliance may attract penalties under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Does this circular apply to foreign branches of Indian banks?

Yes, the circular includes a section on applicability to branches and subsidiaries outside India, requiring them to adhere to these standards.

📜 This document’s life story (3 recorded events, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Amended by KYC Updation Periodicity Simplified for Banks
RBI’s words: “Please refer to paragraph 2.4 (k) of our Master circular DBOD.AML.BC. No. 24/14.01.001/2013-14”
Amended by PMLA Amendment: Designated Director & Fine Provisions
RBI’s words: “Please refer to our Master circular DBOD.AML.BC.No. 24/14.01.001/2013-14 dated July 1, 2013”
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #1082: DBOD.AML.BC.No.24/14.01.001/2013-14 — "Master Circular - Know Your Customer (KYC) norms / Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards / Combating of Financing of Te”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/94 DBOD.AML.BC.No.24/14.01.001/2013-14 July 1, 2013 Ashadha 10, 1935 (saka) The Chairmen/Chief Executive Officers All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs)/ All India Financial Institutions/ Local Area Banks Dear Sir, Master Circular – Know Your Customer (KYC) norms / Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards/Combating of Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Obligation of banks under PMLA, 2002 Please refer to our Master Circular DBOD.AML.BC.No.11/14.01.001/2012-13 dated July 02, 2012 consolidating instructions/guidelines issued to banks till June 30, 2012 on Know Your Customer (KYC) norms /Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards/Combating of Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Obligation of banks under PMLA, 2002. This Master Circular is a consolidation of the instructions on Know Your Customer (KYC) norms /Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards/Combating of Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Obligation of banks under PMLA, 2002 issued up to June 30, 2013. 2. The Master Circular has been placed on the RBI website: ( http://www.rbi.org.in ) Yours faithfully, (Prakash Chandra Sahoo) Chief General Manager Master Circular on Know Your Customer (KYC) norms/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards/Combating of Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Obligation of banks under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, (PMLA), 2002 Purpose Banks were advised to follow certain customer identification procedure for opening of accounts and monitoring transactions of a suspicious nature for the purpose of reporting it to appropriate authority. These ‘Know Your Customer’ guidelines have been revisited in the context of the Recommendations made by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Anti Money Laundering (AML) standards and on Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT). Detailed guidelines based on the Recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force and the paper issued on Customer Due Diligence (CDD) for banks by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, with indicative suggestions wherever considered necessary, have been issued. Banks have been advised to ensure that a proper policy framework on ‘Know Your Customer’ and Anti-Money Laundering measures is formulated with the approval of their Board and put in place. 2. This Master Circular aims at consolidating all the instructions/guidelines issued by RBI on Know Your Customer (KYC) norms/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards/Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Obligations of banks under PMLA, 2002. The Master Circular has been placed on the RBI website ( http://www.rbi.org.in ). Previous instructions A list of circulars issued in this regard is given in Annex – V Application The instructions, contained in the master circular, are applicable to All India Financial Institutions, all scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs) and Local Area Banks. These guidelines are issued under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and Rule 7 of Prevention of Money-Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005. Any contravention thereof or non-compliance shall attract penalties under Banking Regulation Act. This Master Circular consolidates all the circulars issued on the subject up to June 30, 2013. Index
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/94 · issued 01 Jul 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=8179&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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