The Banking Ombudsman is a legal authority to compromise the customer and bank and facilitates the resolution of complaints.

• This scheme followed by all Scheduled commercial banks, Rural banks, and Scheduled co-operative banks.


• The Banking Ombudsman can resolve the complaints from Non-Resident Indian customers who are having accounts in India.


• The banking Ombudsman scheme is a completely free service to the customer.

• The Ombudsman can also look into internet banking related matters, but the bank does not responsible for net banking frauds and cybercrime. A customer has to take the help of police and court for justice.


• The maximum limit for deal and settlement matters of the Banking Ombudsman is less than Rs. 10 Lakhs.


• This person can deal with credit card related complaints in case of the bank did not respond to the customer's complaint.


• This person also looks into complaints about demand draft, cheques, pay orders and delay payments.


• A customer can approach the bank ombudsman when the bank refuses to open and closes an account without giving reasons.


• In the case of improper Staff services and not releasing funds like pensions then the customer has a right to approach bank Ombudsman.


• Bank Ombudsman can pass the orders to the bank to repay the money.


• Bank Ombudsman can pass the orders to the bank to pay additional fines for the mental pressure caused to the customer.


• In earlier, the bank Ombudsman has been appointed by only from supposed persons from the law, finance, banking, management, administration, etc. But Nowadays the Bank Ombudsman can be appointed by RBI officers.


• In earlier, the bank provided the money and staff for this person's office in their area. But Now RBI itself gives the money and staff to the bank Ombudsman.


• The banks are requested to display features of the scheme for public knowledge.

• The Banking Ombudsman has a total of 21 offices all over India.
  Regional Offices of Bank Ombudsman in India are as follows:
  

  Location	Name & Address of the Office of Banking Ombudsman
  Ahmedabad	Shri G J Raju C/o Reserve Bank of India La Gajjar Chambers, Ashram Road Ahmedabad-380 009 STD Code: 079 Tel. No. 26582357/26586718 Fax No. 26583325 Email : boahmedabad@rbi.org.in
  Bengaluru	Ms. C R Samyuktha C/o Reserve Bank of India 10/3/8, Nrupathunga Road Bengaluru -560 001 STD Code: 080 Tel. No. 22210771/22275629 Fax No. 22244047 Email : bobangalore@rbi.org.in
  Bhopal	Shri V K Nayak C/o Reserve Bank of India Hoshangabad Road Post Box No. 32, Bhopal-462 011 STD Code: 0755 Tel. No. 2573772/2573776 Fax No. 2573779 Email : bobhopal@rbi.org.in
  Bhuvneshwar	Shri S Behera C/o Reserve Bank of India Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru Marg Bhubaneswar-751 001 STD Code: 0674 Tel. No. 2396207/2396008 Fax No. 2393906 Email : bobhubaneswar@rbi.org.in
  Chandigarh	Shri J L Negi C/o Reserve Bank of India 4th Floor, Sector 17 Chandigarh Tel. No. 0172 - 2721109 Fax No. 0172 - 2721880 Email : bochandigarh@rbi.org.in
  Chennai	Shri R. Lakshmi Kanth Rao C/o Reserve Bank of India Fort Glacis, Chennai 600 001 STD Code: 044 Tel No. 25395963 / 25395964 Fax No. 25395488 Email : bochennai@rbi.org.in
  Guwahati	Shri A. R. Samal C/o Reserve Bank of India Station Road, Pan Bazar Guwahati-781 001 STD Code: 0361 Tel.No.2542556/2540445 Fax No. 2540445 Email : boguwahati@rbi.org.in
  Hyderabad	Smt Reeny Ajit C/o Reserve Bank of India 6-1-56, Secretariat Road Saifabad, Hyderabad-500 004 STD Code: 040 Tel. No. 23210013/23243970 Fax No. 23210014 Email : bohyderabad@rbi.org.in
  Jaipur	Shri C D Srinivasan C/o Reserve Bank of India, Ram Bagh Circle, Tonk Road, Post Box No. 12 Jaipur-302 004 STD Code: 0141 Tel. No. 2577931 Fax No. 2562220 Email : bojaipur@rbi.org.in
  Kanpur	Shri D K Srivastava C/o Reserve Bank of India M. G. Road, Post Box No. 82 Kanpur-208 001 STD Code: 0512 Tel. No. 2306278/2303004 Fax No. 2305938 Email : bokanpur@rbi.org.in
  Kolkata	Smt. Reena Banerjee C/o Reserve Bank of India 15, Netaji Subhash Road Kolkata-700 001 STD Code: 033 Tel. No. 22304982 Fax No. 22305899 Email : bokolkata@rbi.org.in
  Mumbai (I)	Smt. Ranjana Sahajwala C/o Reserve Bank of India 4th Floor, RBI Byculla Office Building, Opp. Mumbai Central Railway Station, Byculla, Mumbai-400 008 STD Code: 022 Tel No. 23022028 Fax : 23022024 Email : bomumbai@rbi.org.in
  Mumbai (II)	Shri P K Jena C/o Reserve Bank of India, 4th Floor, RBI Byculla Office Building, Opp. Mumbai Central Railway Station, Byculla, Mumbai-400 008 STD Code: 022 Telephone: 23028140 Fax : 23022024 Email : bomumbai2@rbi.org.in
  New Delhi (I)	Smt. Anupam Sonal C/o Reserve Bank of India, Sansad Marg, New Delhi STD Code: 011 Tel. No. 23725445/23710882 Fax No. 23725218 Email : bonewdelhi@rbi.org.in
  Patna	Smt. Nandita Singh C/o Reserve Bank of India Patna-800 001 STD Code: 0612 Tel. No. 2322569/2323734 Fax No. 2320407 Email : bopatna@rbi.org.in
  Thiruvananthapuram	Shri H N Iyer C/o Reserve Bank of India Bakery Junction Thiruvananthapuram-695 033 STD Code: 0471 Tel. No. 2332723/2323959 Fax No. 2321625 Email : bothiruvananthapuram@rbi.org.in
  New Delhi (II)	Shri R S Amar C/o Reserve Bank of India Sansad Marg, New Delhi STD Code: 011 Tel. No. 23724856 Fax No. 23725218-19 Email : bonewdelhi2@rbi.org.in
  Dehradun	Shri H S Khitaulia C/o Reserve Bank of India 74/1 G.M.V.N. Building, 1st floor, Rajpur Road, Dehradun - 248 001 STD Code : 0135 Telephone : 2742003 Fax : 2742001 Email : bodehradun@rbi.org.in
  Ranchi	Smt Chandana Dasgupta C/o Reserve Bank of India 4th Floor, Pragati Sadan, RRDA Building, Kutchery Road, Ranchi Jharkhand 834001 STD Code : 0651 Telephone : 2210512 Fax : 2210511 Email : boranchi@rbi.org.in
  Raipur	Shri. Keshab Korkora C/o Reserve Bank of India 54/949, Shubhashish Parisar, Satya Prem Vihar Mahadev Ghat Road, Sundar Nagar, Raipur- 492013 STD Code : 0771 Telephone: 2242566 Fax : 2242566 Email : boraipur@rbi.org.in
  Jammu	Shri P Shimrah C/o Reserve Bank of India, Rail Head Complex, Jammu- 180012 STD Code : 0191 Telephone: 2477617 Fax : 2477219 Email: bojammu@rbi.org.in

What are the grounds of complaint?
The Banking Ombudsman can entertain complaints under Clause 8 of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme.
The complaints are majorly received and considered on the deficiency in the banking system. Some of them are:
Non-payment or inordinate delay in:

• Making payment
• Collection of cheques, drafts, and bills,
• The issue of drafts, pay order or banker's cheques,
• Inward remittances,
• Non-credit of proceeds to party's accounts,
• Non-payment of deposit, and
• Disbursement of pension.

Non-observance of RBI directives.
Non-adherence to working hours prescribed.
Non-acceptance of:

• Coins without sufficient cause.
• Small denomination notes that are tendering for any purpose without sufficient cause

on-adherence to:

• The instructions of RBI on ATM, Debit card, Prepaid card operations by the banks in India and its subsidiaries,
• The instructions of RBI on credit card operations by the banks and its subsidiaries.
• The instructions of RBI about Mobile Banking and Electronic Banking service in India.
• The fair practices code adopted by the bank.
• The provisions mentioned in the Code of Bank's Commitments issued by the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India to the customers.
• The guidelines of the RBI on para-banking activities.

Any violation of the directives of the RBI about the banking services and other services.
Complaints can be lodged even on the grounds of deficiencies in services provided with respect to the loans and advances.
Forced the closure of the deposit accounts without giving any prior notice or without any sufficient reason.
Refusal or delay in closing the account.
When can one file a complaint with the Banking Ombudsman?
A customer shall first have to take the complaint to the respective bank. The customer can approach the Banking Ombudsman to file a complaint if:

• The customer does not receive a reply within one month after the concerned bank has received the complaint, or


• If the concerned bank rejects the complaint, or


• If the complainant remains unsatisfied with the reply given by the concerned bank.

When will the Banking Ombudsman not consider the complaints?
The Banking Ombudsman shall not consider the complaints if:

• The complaint has not approached the bank for redressal of the grievance before approaching the Banking Ombudsman.


• If the complaint is not made within one year from the date of receipt of a reply from the bank or even it is not received.


• If the matter of the complaint is pending for disposal (or) previously dealt with in any other forums.


• Frivolous complaints


• The institution complained against was not covered under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme.

Where can one lodge a complaint?
A complaint can be lodged at the office of the Banking Ombudsman under the jurisdiction same as the bank branch in which the complaint has been lodged.
All complaints relating to the credit cards and other types of services that have centralized operations, complaints can be filed before the Banking Ombudsman within the territorial jurisdiction of the customer's billing address.

1. The Banking Ombudsman Scheme was introduced under_____.

A. Banking Regulation Act, 1935 B. Banking Regulation Act , 1949 C. Banking Regulation Act, 1985 D. Banking Regulation Act, 1936 E. None of The Above

Answer: Option B
2. The Banking Ombudsman Scheme was introduced by RBI with effect from _______.

A. 1992 B. 1993 C. 1995 D. 1994 E. None of The Above

Answer: Option C
3. Current Banking Ombudsman Scheme introduced in ________.

A. 2004 B. 2005 C. 2007 D. 2006 E. None of the above

Answer: Option D
4. Banking Ombudsman is appointed by __________.

A. Central Finance Minister B. Reserve Bank of India C. SEBI D. Bank E. None of the above

Answer: Option B
5. Banking Ombudsman charge ______ fee for filing and resolving customer's complaints.

A. Rs. 10,000 B. Rs. 5,000 C. Rs. 500 D. Rs. 1000 E. No Fees charge

Answer: Option E