Home › Circulars › RBI/2020-21/111

UNSC Sanctions List Updated: 8 Entries Amended

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2020-21/111 · issued 24 Mar 2021 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI directs all regulated entities to update their records per UNSC's amendment of 8 individuals on the ISIL (Da'esh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions List. Entities must ensure no accounts or services are provided to these listed individuals.
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
How it plays out — a real example

As a payments & clearing officer in Indore, I need to ensure that our bank's records are updated with the latest UNSC sanctions list. If I notice that one of our customers is on the list, I must freeze their account and notify the relevant authorities. This is a critical step in preventing any potential terrorist financing activities and ensuring compliance with Section 51A of UAPA, 1967.

What changed

The UNSC's 1267/1989 Sanctions List has been amended for 8 individuals, as notified by MEA via UNSC press release SC/14473 dated March 23, 2021. RBI has communicated this update to all regulated entities, requiring them to incorporate these changes into their compliance checks.

What it means for you

Banks and other regulated entities must immediately screen their customer databases against the updated list and freeze any assets or accounts linked to these 8 individuals. Non-compliance with Section 51A of UAPA, 1967 can lead to regulatory action. This is a routine but critical update to ensure alignment with international sanctions.

What you must do

Who it affects

All Scheduled Commercial Banks, All Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), All Payment System Operators, All other RBI-regulated entities

❓ Common questions

What is the source of this sanctions list update?

The update comes from the UNSC Committee established under Resolutions 1267, 1989, and 2253, and was forwarded to RBI by the Ministry of External Affairs.

How should we handle a customer who claims to be wrongly listed?

Per MHA instructions, forward any delisting request electronically to Joint Secretary (CTCR), MHA. Customers can also approach the UN Ombudsperson for delisting.

Where can we find the full updated sanctions list?

The updated lists are available on the UNSC website at www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list and for Taliban at the 1988 materials link.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2020-21/111 DOR.AML.BC.No.50/14.06.001/2020-21 March 24, 2021 The Chairpersons/CEOs of all the Regulated Entities Madam/Dear Sir, Implementation of Section 51A of UAPA, 1967: Updates to UNSC’s 1267/ 1989 ISIL (Da'esh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions List – Amendment of 8 entries Please refer to Section 51 of our Master Direction on Know Your Customer dated February 25, 2016 as amended on March 23, 2021 , in terms of which “Regulated Entities (REs) shall ensure that in terms of Section 51A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) (UAPA) Act, 1967, they do not have any account in the name of individuals/entities appearing in the lists of individuals and entities, suspected of having terrorist links, which are approved by and periodically circulated by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).” 2. In this regard, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has now forwarded the following Press Release issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Committee established pursuant to Resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities regarding changes in the List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of UNSC resolution 2368 (2017), and adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. Note SC/14473 dated 23 March 2021 regarding amendment of 8 individuals in UNSC’s 1267/ 1989 ISIL (Da'esh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions List viz. [ QDi.253 Name: 1: KHALIFA 2: MUHAMMAD 3: TURKI 4: AL-SUBAIY, QDi.326 Name: 1: HAMID 2: HAMAD 3: HAMID 4: AL-‘ALI, QDi.334 Name: 1: ‘ABD AL-RAHMAN 2: BIN ‘UMAYR 3: AL-NU’AYMI 4: na, QDi.343 Name: 1: ASHRAF 2: MUHAMMAD 3: YUSUF 4: 'UTHMAN 'ABD AL-SALAM, QDi.344 Name: 1: IBRAHIM 2: 'ISA HAJJI 3: MUHAMMAD 4: AL-BAKR, QDi.346 Name: 1: 'ABD AL-MALIK 2: MUHAMMAD 3: YUSUF 4: 'UTHMAN 'ABD AL-SALAM, QDi.380 Name: 1: ABD AL-LATIF 2: BIN ABDALLAH 3: SALIH MUHAMMAD 4: AL-KAWARI and QDi.382 Name: 1: SA'D 2: BIN SA'D 3: MUHAMMAD SHARIYAN 4: AL-KA'BI] The UNSC press release concerning amendments to the list is available at URL: https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1267/press-releases 3. Updated lists of individuals and entities linked to ISIL (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and Taliban are available at: www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1988/materials 4. The details of the sanctions measures and exemptions are available at the following URL: https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1267#further_information 5. As per the instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), any request for delisting received by any Regulated Entity (RE) is to be forwarded electronically to Joint Secretary (CTCR), MHA for consideration. Individuals, groups, undertakings or entities seeking to be removed from the Security Council’s ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List can submit their request for delisting to an independent and impartial Ombudsperson who has been appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General. More details are available at the following URL: https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/ombudsperson/application 6. In view of the above, REs are advised to take note of the aforementioned UNSC communication and ensure meticulous compliance. Yours faithfully, (Vivek Srivastava) General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2020-21/111 · issued 24 Mar 2021. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Most relevant forCompliance TeamKYC / AML AnalystIT & Cyber SecurityBranch Operations (Accounts / FD / CASA)Teller / Cashier / Customer Service OfficerPersonal Banker / Branch RM (Portfolio)
🛠 Banker’s toolkit — checklists & reply templates →
Related circulars · Department of Regulation
SFB Pillar 3 Disclosure Norms Aligned with BaselUCB Deposit Rate Disclosure & Uniformity Rules UpdatedLAB Deposit Rate Disclosure & Uniformity Rules TightenedPayments Banks: Interest Rates Must Match Disclosed ScheduleRBI Updates Bulk Deposit Rate Rules and Disclosure Timing
Browse all departments →
Who does what — compliance checklist
💻 IT / Systems
  • Update your internal sanctions screening systems with the 8 amended entries from the UNSC list.
📜 Compliance
  • Review existing customer accounts and transactions for any matches with the newly amended individuals.
  • Ensure compliance with Section 51A of UAPA, 1967 and RBI's KYC Master Direction.
  • Forward any delisting requests received from customers to Joint Secretary (CTCR), MHA electronically.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are an IT/Systems lead at a bank this circular applies to (All Scheduled Commercial Banks, All Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), All Payment System Operators, All other RBI-regulated entities), your first concrete step on “UNSC Sanctions List Updated: 8 Entries Amended” is: “Update your internal sanctions screening systems with the 8 amended entries from the UNSC list.” (RBI issued this 24 Mar 2021).

  1. Circular: RBI/2020-21/111 -- UNSC Sanctions List Updated: 8 Entries Amended
  2. Issued: 24 Mar 2021
  3. Action required: Update your internal sanctions screening systems with the 8 amended entries from the UNSC list.
  4. Action required: Review existing customer accounts and transactions for any matches with the newly amended individuals.
  5. Action required: Ensure compliance with Section 51A of UAPA, 1967 and RBI's KYC Master Direction.
  6. Action required: Forward any delisting requests received from customers to Joint Secretary (CTCR), MHA electronically.
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. 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.

Loading comments…
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=12044&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.
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 ↗
—