Newz Desk, Durgapur: To make banking more inclusive and accessible, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued fresh directives to commercial banks, mandating wider use of regional languages in customer-facing services. The move aligns with the Centre’s emphasis on strengthening banking outreach, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.
The development comes weeks after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stressed the need for using regional languages more extensively at bank branches to ensure smoother communication with people across the country. On Tuesday, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary reiterated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, confirming that the RBI has framed clear guidelines on customer service that highlight the importance of regional language usage.
RBI Makes Regional Languages Mandatory at Bank Counters Across India
According to the Minister, the RBI has directed bank boards to formulate policies on the systematic use of regional languages. As per the guidelines, every service counter in a branch must display boards in the local language. All printed materials—including service booklets, account-opening forms, pay-in slips and passbooks—must be available in Hindi, English and the relevant regional language.
To ensure effective implementation, the Department of Financial Services under the Finance Ministry has issued separate instructions to public sector banks. Additionally, the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has advised these banks to create policies for appointing Local Bank Officers (LBOs) to facilitate better communication with customers.
In a significant step, service staff posted at counters—who directly interact with customers—will now be required to demonstrate proficiency in the official language of the respective state or union territory during recruitment.
The government believes the move will eliminate language barriers, improve service quality and strengthen financial inclusion across India’s diverse linguistic landscape.
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