December 03rd Current Affairs
Table of Contents
Non-Positivist Methodologies in Social Research
Home / Non-Positivist Methodologies in Social Research Shift from Positivism to Non-Positivism As sociologists recognized that social realities cannot be
UPSC Current Affairs – December 3
December 03rd Current Affairs Home / Table of Contents Govt ready to talk about electoral reforms in Parliament, but not
Fact, Value and Objectivity
Home / Fact, Value and Objectivity What is a Fact? A fact is an empirically verifiable observation—something that can be
UPSC Current Affairs – December 2
December 02nd Current Affairs Home / Table of Contents Bioterrorism a serious threat, world not ready: S. Jaishankar Relevance to
Positivism and its Critique
Home / Positivism and its Critique What is Positivism? Positivism is the idea that human behaviour can be studied using
UPSC Current Affairs – December 1st
December 01st Current Affairs Home / Table of Contents Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after floods and mudslides Relevance
Major Theoretical Strands of Research Methodology
Home / Major Theoretical Strands of Research Methodology Research methodology is a broad term that encompasses the entire research process
UPSC Current Affairs – November 25
November 25th Current Affairs Home / Table of Contents Woman from Arunachal Pradesh stopped at China airport; India issues strong
UPSC Current Affairs – November 24
November 24th Current Affairs Home / Table of Contents Justice Surya Kant sworn in as 53rd Chief Justice of India
UPSC Current Affairs – November 21
November 21st Current Affairs Home / Table of Contents What is Cloudflare, and why did half the internet go down
Govt ready to talk about electoral reforms in Parliament, but not before discussion on 150 years of Vande Mataram: Kiren Rijiju
Relevance to UPSC
GS Paper-II: Polity & Governance
- Electoral reforms in India – need, challenges, and constitutional provisions.
- Role of Parliament in initiating political and institutional reforms.
- Issues related to free and fair elections, transparency, electoral roll purification, money power, and criminalisation of politics.
- Parliamentary procedures: government’s power to set legislative agenda and prioritise discussions.
GS Paper-II: Indian Constitution
- Article 327, 328 – powers of Parliament and State Legislatures regarding electoral laws.
- Role of the Election Commission (Articles 324–329) and debates on strengthening its autonomy.
- Relationship between the executive and legislature in scheduling legislative business.
GS Paper-I: Modern Indian History
- 150 years of Vande Mataram: historical significance, its role in national awakening, and cultural symbolism.
- Debates around national symbols, nationalism, and unity.
More About the News
- Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that the Government is open to discussing electoral reforms in Parliament but only after a scheduled discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram.
- The Opposition had been pressing for an immediate debate on electoral reforms—especially following recent concerns about electoral bonds, funding transparency, and electoral roll issues—but the government insisted that the House must first complete the listed agenda.
- Rijiju emphasised that the government is “not running away from any debate,” but parliamentary decorum requires that discussions follow the sequence agreed in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC).
- The 150-year commemoration of Vande Mataram—first sung in 1875—has been planned as a major thematic discussion in both Houses, focusing on its historical and cultural relevance in India’s freedom struggle.
- Electoral reforms expected to come up include: strengthening ECI autonomy, regulating campaign finance, tackling criminalisation of politics, and improving voter roll accuracy.
- The political tussle highlights how parliamentary agenda-setting can become a site of contestation between government and opposition, affecting the timing of key discussions.
- The development gains significance as India debates deeper democratic reforms—including simultaneous elections, state funding, stricter audits of political parties, and transparency in donations—amid changing democratic expectations.
150 Years of Vande Mataram
Historical Background
- Vande Mataram was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1872 and later included in his novel Anandamath (1882).
- Written originally in Sanskritised Bengali, it blended devotional, patriotic and civilizational themes.
- First sung publicly by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 INC Session.
Constitutional & Political Significance
- The Constituent Assembly (24 January 1950) adopted Vande Mataram as the National Song of India.
- Article 51A(a) (Fundamental Duties) implicitly links respect for national symbols—including the National Song—to constitutional values.
- Debates centred on balancing cultural heritage with India’s commitment to secularism and inclusivity.
Role in National Awakening
- Became a rallying cry during Swadeshi Movement (1905–11), inspiring mass protests against Bengal’s partition.
- Used in anti-colonial marches, underground movements and revolutionary groups such as Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar.
- Its emotional appeal united diverse linguistic and regional groups behind the idea of Bharat Mata.
Cultural Symbolism
- Symbolises motherland as divine, embodying purity, strength, and resilience.
- Represents cultural nationalism rooted in India’s spiritual traditions.
- Its imagery—fertile land, rivers, and goddess-like motherland—creates an emotional bond with India’s civilizational identity.
Contemporary Relevance
- Continues to feature in official events, patriotic ceremonies, and cultural performances.
- Debates persist around inclusivity and religious sensitivity, making it important for GS-II themes: secularism, nationalism & cultural rights.
- Completion of 150 years offers an opportunity to revisit its role in nation-building.
Vande Mataram remains a powerful symbol of India’s freedom struggle, cultural heritage, and emotional nationalism. Its 150-year legacy highlights how literature, spirituality, and patriotism shaped collective consciousness and continue to influence debates on identity, inclusivity, and nation-building in contemporary India.
Prelims MCQ
Q. Consider the following statements regarding Vande Mataram:
1. Vande Mataram was first sung at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.
2. It was adopted as the National Song of India by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950.
3. The song originally appeared in Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel Durgeshnandini.
4. Article 51A(a) of the Constitution explicitly mentions respect for the National Song.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Mains Question
Q. Examine the historical, cultural, and constitutional significance of Vande Mataram in shaping India’s national identity. How have contemporary debates around secularism and inclusivity influenced its interpretation in modern India?
Sanchar Saathi app: All the data govt-mandated app collects from your phone
Relevance to UPSC
GS Paper-II: Polity & Governance / Digital Governance
- Sanchar Saathi illustrates how the state uses digital tools under cyber-security / telecom regulation — relevant for studying governance, digital public infrastructure and regulation.
- Raises questions about individual privacy, consent, state surveillance vs public safety, and the balance between them — important for public policy, citizen rights, data privacy.
- Offers a practical example for discussions on oversight mechanism, citizens’ digital rights, and telecom regulation framework.
GS Paper-III: Internal Security / Cyber Security & Telecom Regulation
- The app is part of government’s attempt to curb telecom fraud, device theft, and IMEI cloning. It relates to national efforts at securing communications infrastructure and protecting citizens from cyber-fraud.
- Demonstrates how telecom regulation intersects with technology, security, and law enforcement.
More About the News
- The app is described as a “citizen-centric” tool by Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to help prevent telecom fraud, IMEI cloning, resale of stolen devices, and misuse of mobile connections.
- Key functions offered: verify if a handset’s IMEI is genuine or blacklisted, check how many mobile connections are registered in a user’s name, report lost/stolen phones, and report suspicious calls, SMS or fraud.
- On Android, the app requests multiple permissions: make & manage phone calls (to detect phone numbers), send SMS (for registration), read call/SMS logs (for fraud reporting), access camera (for scanning IMEI barcode), and access photos/files/external storage (for uploading evidence when reporting fraud or lost devices).
- On iOS, permissions are more limited: camera access (for IMEI scanning) and access to photos/files (for uploading reports) — reflecting the stricter app-ecosystem constraints.
- DoT’s privacy policy states that the app “does not automatically capture any specific personal information without intimation,” and that any volunteered personal information will be used only for stated purposes and secured.
- Nevertheless, privacy-rights groups and critics argue that mandatory pre-installation (particularly as a system-level app) effectively turns every smartphone into a “vessel for state-mandated software” — potentially giving continuous, difficult-to-remove access to sensitive data (call logs, SMS, device metadata, storage).
- The concerns include lack of transparency on data-retention periods, no clear user rights for data deletion or correction, absence of an opt-out mechanism, and possible “function creep” where the app’s log-in, permissions or use might expand over time.
Sanchar Saathi App, Digital Governance & Digital Privacy in India
Sanchar Saathi is a telecom-security and citizen-protection platform developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It aims to curb mobile-related fraud, verify IMEI authenticity, track lost phones, and check SIM cards issued in one’s name. The government’s move to mandate the app on all smartphones has triggered an important debate on digital governance, privacy, surveillance, and consent.
Sanchar Saathi: Objectives & Key Features
- Verify IMEI authenticity, detect cloned/blacklisted phones.
- Check number of mobile connections issued under a user’s identity (Know Your Mobile Connections).
- Report stolen or lost mobile phones through CEIR.
- Report suspicious calls, cyber fraud attempts, or spam.
- Support law enforcement in tracing misuse of mobile devices.
Why It Matters?
- Rising telecom fraud (OTP theft, SIM cloning, phishing).
- Increasing smartphone penetration & digital dependence.
- Need for centralised, real-time, fraud-prevention systems.
Permissions & Data Access: Privacy Concerns
- Read call logs, SMS logs
- Manage calls & phone state
- Send SMS
- Access storage (photos/files)
- Camera access
- Background activity permissions
Privacy Issues Raised
- Mandatory pre-installation → erodes meaningful consent.
- Broad “dangerous permissions” → potential surveillance vectors.
- Data retention undefined → risk of indefinite storage.
- No guaranteed right to data deletion/correction.
- Possibility of function creep if updated without user control.
Digital Governance: Opportunities & Risks
Opportunities
- Strengthens cyber hygiene and telecom security.
- Facilitates real-time fraud reporting & device blocking.
- Supports safe digital ecosystems for fintech, e-governance, and digital payments.
- Enhances state capacity to combat cybercrime and identity misuse.
Risks
- Centralisation of device-level access increases surveillance potential.
- Pre-installation resembles “forced compliance” rather than digital empowerment.
- Weak data-protection law → insufficient safeguards.
- Lacks independent oversight (no Data Protection Authority yet).
Digital Privacy in India
Legal Framework
- Article 21 → Right to Privacy (Puttaswamy Judgment, 2017).
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023 → foundational law but criticised for broad exemptions for the State.
- IT Act, 2000 & CERT-In Rules → security-oriented, not privacy-oriented.
Structural Challenges
- Weak independent oversight compared to GDPR-like regimes.
- Consent fatigue and lack of granular user control.
- State-mandated apps (Aarogya Setu, Sandes, Sanchar Saathi) → recurring consent debates.
- Absence of clear deletion, correction, and portability rights in many platforms.
Governance vs. Privacy: The Core Tension
Arguments in Support
- Protects citizens from rampant fraud.
- Ensures traceability of mobile devices used in crime.
- Helps curb black-market phones and IMEI tampering.
- Strengthens national digital infrastructure.
Arguments Against
- Risks excessive state surveillance.
- Mandatory system-level installation undermines autonomy.
- Undefined data-retention rules violate privacy principles.
- State exemptions under DPDPA make accountability weak.
Way Forward / Reforms Needed
- Independent Data Protection Authority with real oversight.
- Purpose limitation & data minimisation principles must be enforced.
- Clear retention & deletion policies for user data.
- Opt-out mechanisms or non-system-level installation.
- Transparent audits of government-mandated apps.
- Privacy-by-Design and Open-Source codebase to ensure trust.
- Legislative checks on executive power in digital surveillance.
Key Phrases / Concepts
- Surveillance capitalism vs. surveillance governance
- State capacity vs. civil liberties
- “Meaningful consent” under digital governance
- Function creep
- Proportionality test (from Puttaswamy judgment)
- Procedural safeguards
Sanchar Saathi reflects India’s ambitions in digital governance and cyber-security, yet it highlights persistent gaps in privacy protections. Balancing state security needs with individual rights requires stronger legal safeguards, transparent data practices, and citizen-centric digital policies grounded in constitutional values.
Prelims MCQ
Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Sanchar Saathi platform:
1. It enables users to check all mobile connections issued in their name and report misuse.
2. It requires mandatory access to call logs and SMS logs on all devices by default, regardless of user consent.
3. It is part of the Department of Telecommunications’ initiative to curb telecom frauds, IMEI cloning, and misuse of mobile numbers.
4. It provides an online mechanism for blocking lost or stolen mobile phones through CEIR.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Mains Question
Q. India’s push for digital governance through platforms like Sanchar Saathi strengthens public service delivery but raises new challenges in privacy, surveillance and user consent. Discuss with reference to India’s digital regulatory framework.
DeepSeek unveils new AI models rivalling GPT-5 and Gemini 3 Pro
Relevance to UPSC
GS Paper-III: Science & Technology / Emerging Technologies
- The new models (DeepSeek‑V3.2 and DeepSeek‑V3.2‑Speciale) reflect rapid advances in large language models (LLMs) — reasoning-first AI, long-context handling, tool-use integration — showing how frontier AI is evolving beyond just “chatbots.”
- Key technical innovations: “Sparse Attention” to reduce compute costs, a scalable reinforcement-learning framework, and a large-scale agentic training pipeline.
- This shows how open-source AI ecosystems are becoming potent competitors to proprietary models — relevant to discussions of democratization of technology, accessibility, and global AI development.
GS Paper-IV: Ethics, Integrity & Governance of Technology
- Open-source AI lowering the barrier to entry raises governance and regulatory questions: how to ensure safety, privacy, ethical use, alignment with societal values, and prevent misuse.
- As powerful AI capabilities become globally accessible (not just restricted to a few big-tech firms), there is a need for robust AI-governance frameworks, regulation of dual-use AI, and international norms.
More About the News
- Credit-card–related complaints rose 20% in FY25, touching 50,811 cases, as per the RBI Ombudsman Annual Report 2024–25.
- Private sector banks accounted for the majority with 32,696 complaints, indicating stress in customer service amidst rapid credit-card expansion.
- Public sector banks recorded only 3,021 complaints, showing a comparatively lower grievance load.
- Overall complaints to the Ombudsman increased to 1.33 million, a 13.55% rise from FY24.
- The loans & advances category remained the largest source of complaints (≈29%), while credit cards were the second-largest (≈17%).
- Complaints related to digital banking, mobile banking, and ATM/debit cards declined, signalling improved performance in these segments.
- The bulk of credit-card grievances involved billing errors, fraudulent transactions, unfair charges, mis-selling, and delayed grievance redressal.
- The surge highlights a mismatch between credit-card growth and banking service capacity, especially in private banks.
- RBI is expected to push for stricter compliance, faster dispute resolution, and better transparency norms.
- The trend underscores the need for strong consumer protection in an increasingly digital and credit-driven banking ecosystem.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Note: The above topic has been covered under the Current Affairs of 17/09/2025. Click here and refer to it
No war, no peace: Navy’s new category in Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025
Relevance to UPSC
GS Paper-III: Security & Defence / Strategic Studies
- Recognising a “grey-zone” or “sub-threshold conflict” phase reflects evolving maritime threats — hybrid warfare, coercion, asymmetric operations.
- Helps understand India’s maritime security posture, deterrence doctrine, and strategic readiness in peacetime competition.
GS Paper-II / GS Paper-III: International Relations & Geopolitics
- This doctrine revision signals how India may respond to growing maritime competition in the Indo-Pacific, sea-lane security, and regional power dynamics.
- Relevant for discussions on maritime domain awareness, naval diplomacy, and India’s role in regional security architecture.
More about the News
- On 2 December 2025 (Navy Day), the Indian Navy formally released the Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025, for the first time defining “No-War, No-Peace” — a distinct category between peace and war.
- This recognises the maritime “grey zone” as a critical operational space — capturing scenarios of coercion, hybrid operations, and sub-threshold conflict rather than conventional war.
- The doctrine updates respond to maritime realities of the 2020s: evolving multi-domain threats, hybrid tactics, irregular warfare, and continuous maritime competition.
- It also underscores tri-service integration: the doctrine aligns with broader joint doctrines to ensure interoperability across the navy, army, and air force — a step towards theatre-level operations.
- The 2025 edition situates maritime strategy within national-level initiatives like infrastructure and maritime-economic visions, emphasising maritime power as a pillar of long-term national security
Indian Maritime Doctrine
What is the Indian Maritime Doctrine — and Why the 2025 Update
- The Indian Navy’s maritime doctrine is its apex strategic guidance document: guiding its roles, strategy, and employment across the full “spectrum of conflict.”
- First issued in 2004, then revised in 2009 and amended in 2015, the 2025 edition reflects changes in India’s maritime environment, security challenges, technological shifts, and national development vision.
- The new edition was formally released on Navy Day 2025 by the Chief of Naval Staff.
Key Features of IMD 2025
- “No-War, No-Peace” as a distinct category: For the first time, the doctrine formally recognises a grey-zone between peace and war — a state of “sub-threshold conflict/competition” involving coercion, hybrid tactics, asymmetric and irregular maritime operations.
- Acknowledgement of Grey-Zone, Hybrid, Irregular Maritime Threats: The doctrine accepts that adversaries may employ tactics short of open war — using asymmetric warfare, coercion, hybrid operations — demanding preparedness not just for war, but persistent low-intensity competition.
- Integration of Multi-Domain Threats: Recognizes growing importance of space, cyber, cognitive domains and emerging technologies. Emphasis on uncrewed systems, autonomous platforms, networked surveillance, cyber-security, and modern maritime technologies.
- Tri-Service Jointness & Theaterisation Orientation: The doctrine prioritises interoperability across Navy, Army and Air Force; aligns with other joint doctrines and sets doctrinal groundwork for theatre-command based operations — reflecting the trend toward integrated military theatres.
- Maritime-Economic & National Development Linkage: Positions oceans and maritime domain as foundational to national aspirations — aligning with national initiatives like Sagarmala Programme, Maritime India Vision 2030, Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, and broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
- Strategic Emphasis on Maritime Influence & Regional Role: The doctrine underlines India’s ambition to expand its maritime influence, protect sea-lanes, ensure freedom of navigation, safeguard sea trade, and act as a “security provider” in the Indian Ocean and adjoining regions.
Significance & Strategic Implications
- Reflects changing nature of maritime threats: Traditional focus on high-intensity naval war is no longer sufficient — constant low-intensity coercion, hybrid threats, and grey-zone competition require persistent readiness, surveillance, and flexible response.
- Supports Integrated & Joint Military Posture: By promoting tri-service interoperability and theatre-level operations, IMD 2025 improves overall strategic responsiveness; reduces redundancy and ensures better resource utilisation.
- Bridges Defence & Development: By integrating maritime strategy with economic and infrastructural initiatives — ports, trade corridors, coastal development — it acknowledges that national security increasingly includes economic and maritime-economic dimensions.
- Prepares for Technology-Driven Warfare: Emphasis on cyber, space, unmanned/autonomous systems reflects future-oriented doctrine — preparing Navy for modern multi-domain conflicts, non-traditional threats like cyberattacks, grey-zone operations.
- India’s Growing Role in IOR (Indian Ocean Region): Reinforces India’s aspiration to be a net security provider in the region, ensuring sea-lane security, protecting maritime trade, and countering influence of extra-regional powers — aligning with Indo-Pacific and geopolitical strategies.
Challenges, Criticisms & Implementation Hurdles
- Jointness vs Institutional Resistance: Theatre-based command structure and tri-service integration have long been debated; services may resist loss of autonomy, leading to institutional friction and slow implementation.
- Technology & Resource Gap: Implementation of autonomous platforms, cyber and space capabilities require substantial resources, skilled manpower, and infrastructure. Budgetary and industrial constraints may slow progress.
- Civil–military, Defence–Development balance: Integrating developmental initiatives (ports, coastal economy) with security goals may lead to strategic vs economic trade-offs; risk of over-militarisation of coastal regions.
- Dynamic Threat Environment: Grey-zone threats, hybrid warfare, non-state actors — unpredictable and evolving — make doctrine implementation harder; need constant updates and agile policy.
Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025 marks a significant doctrinal leap — recognising the complexities of modern maritime security, integrating multi-domain threats, emphasising joint operations, and linking maritime strategy with national development goals. For India, with rising maritime stakes in IOR and Indo-Pacific, this doctrine provides the strategic framework to safeguard national interests, project influence, and foster naval and maritime readiness. For UPSC aspirants, IMD 2025 presents a rich case study bridging security, geopolitics, economic development and governance — underscoring how doctrine, policy, and national vision converge in shaping India’s maritime future.
Prelims MCQ
Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Indian Maritime Doctrine (IMD) 2025:
1. IMD 2025 formally introduces “No-War, No-Peace” as a distinct operational category in the spectrum of conflict.
2. The doctrine places exclusive emphasis on high-intensity naval warfare and excludes grey-zone or hybrid maritime challenges.
3. IMD 2025 aligns India’s maritime strategy with national development initiatives such as Sagarmala and Maritime India Vision 2030.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Mains Question
Q. The Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025 marks a paradigm shift in India’s maritime security outlook. Discuss the key features of the doctrine and examine its significance for India’s national security and maritime influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Credit card customer complaints spike 20% in FY25, pvt banks log most cases
Relevance to UPSC
GS Paper-III: Economy — Banking & Financial Sector Regulation
- Reflects consumer-protection and regulatory challenges in India’s banking sector, especially under expanding retail credit and digital banking.
- Highlights role of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and its Ombudsman mechanism in grievance redressal — relevant for governance, financial inclusion, and consumer rights frameworks.
GS Paper-III: Finance — Financial Inclusion and Banking Reforms
- Indicates the risks of rapid credit-card proliferation and inadequate customer servicing, especially in the private banking segment.
- Underlines need for stronger banking compliance, transparency, accountability and consumer grievance mechanisms.
More About the News
- According to the latest Annual Report of the Ombudsman Scheme (2024–25) by RBI, customer complaints related to credit cards increased by 20.04%, reaching 50,811 cases during FY25.
- Private sector banks accounted for the bulk of these complaints — 32,696 credit-card grievances — while public sector banks recorded only 3,021 complaints in the same category.
- Overall grievances to the Ombudsman rose to about 1.33 million in FY25, a 13.55% increase from FY24; loans and advances remain the largest complaint category (29.25%), with credit cards being the second-largest (≈ 17.15 %).
- Meanwhile, complaints related to mobile/electronic banking and ATM/debit cards declined — signalling possible stabilization or improved performance in those segments.
- The shift shows that as private banks expand aggressively in retail lending and card businesses, their customer-facing operations are under strain, leading to higher consumer grievances.
RBI and Its Ombudsman Mechanism in Grievance Redressal
Background
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India’s central bank, entrusted with regulating banks, NBFCs, and other financial institutions, ensuring monetary stability, and protecting the interests of depositors.
- With the expansion of banking and digital financial services, complaints related to loans, credit cards, digital transactions, ATM/debit cards, and mobile banking have risen significantly.
- To strengthen consumer protection, RBI established the Banking Ombudsman Scheme (BOS) in 1995, as a quasi-judicial mechanism to resolve customer complaints efficiently, fairly, and free of cost.
Key Features of the RBI Ombudsman Mechanism
- Mandate: Redress grievances related to deficiency in banking services — delays, non-payment, unfair charges, ATM/debit card issues, mobile banking, pension, and credit card disputes.
- Coverage: Banks regulated by RBI (PSBs, private banks, foreign banks, small finance banks, and payments banks).
- Access: Customers can file complaints online, via email, post, or in-person.
- Process:
- Internal Resolution: Complainant first approaches the bank.
- Escalation to Ombudsman: If unresolved within 30 days, the case can be escalated.
- Quasi-judicial Decision: Ombudsman issues an award within 30 days. Awards above ₹20 lakh are referred to RBI.
- Cost & Transparency: Complaints are free; process is transparent and publicised via RBI website.
- Recent Updates:
- BOS 2021 & 2023 revisions expanded coverage to digital payments and online banking.
- Emphasis on timely resolution (strict timelines and penalties for non-compliance).
Significance
- Consumer Protection: Enhances confidence in banking and digital financial services.
- Accountability: Holds banks accountable for service deficiencies.
- Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness: Resolves disputes without litigation, reducing burden on courts.
- Policy Feedback: Trends in complaints help RBI refine regulatory policies and financial inclusion strategies.
- Promotion of Financial Literacy: Publicity about Ombudsman services educates citizens about their rights.
Challenges
- Limited awareness among rural and less-educated users.
- Delay in resolution for complex complaints, particularly involving interbank transactions.
- Enforcement of awards can be difficult if banks challenge the decision.
- Digital complaints surge requires robust IT infrastructure and monitoring.
The RBI Ombudsman mechanism is a cornerstone of India’s financial consumer protection framework. By providing free, accessible, and quasi-judicial grievance redressal, it enhances trust, enforces accountability, and informs regulatory reforms. For UPSC aspirants, it exemplifies the interface of governance, regulatory oversight, financial inclusion, and citizen rights.
Prelims MCQ
Q. Consider the following statements regarding the RBI Banking Ombudsman Scheme (BOS):
1. It provides a cost-free mechanism for customers to resolve complaints against banks.
2. All banks in India, including co-operative banks and foreign banks, are covered under the scheme.
3. Awards issued by the Banking Ombudsman are final and cannot be challenged.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Mains Question
Q. The RBI Ombudsman mechanism has become a cornerstone of financial consumer protection in India. Discuss its features, significance, and challenges. Examine its role in promoting financial inclusion and accountability in the banking sector.
