The Reserve Bank of India has released the Annual Report of the Ombudsman Scheme for the period April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. The report presents the activities carried out under the Reserve Bank–Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021, and highlights the functioning of the 24 Ombudsman Offices, the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre (CRPC), and the Contact Centre during the financial year.
The Scheme currently covers commercial banks, Regional Rural Banks, and Primary Urban Co-operative Banks (both scheduled and non-scheduled) with a deposit size of Rs 50 crore and above-making cooperative banks an integral part of the RBI’s consumer protection framework.
A notable highlight of the report is the performance of Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs). Complaints against UCBs fell from 3,800 in 2023–24 to 3,369 in 2024–25, marking a decline of 11.34%. UCBs accounted for 1.14% of the total 2,96,321 complaints received during the year. The decline indicates improved grievance redressal and enhanced service quality within the cooperative banking sector.
In contrast, complaints against Private Sector Banks increased significantly. They received 1,11,199 complaints, accounting for 37.53% of the total, an increase of 10.02% over the previous year. Public Sector Banks, however, reported a decline of 8.45%, with complaints falling to 1,03,117 (34.80% of total complaints).
The RBI also noted effective disposal of complaints related to cooperative banks. In the category that includes co-operative banks, Regional Rural Banks, NBFCs, and payment system participants, more than 17,800 complaints were resolved through conciliation, mediation, or advisories, while a small number culminated in awards.
Overall, the decline in complaint numbers and the high resolution rate reflect positively on the functioning of Urban Co-operative Banks. The RBI highlighted that strengthening of supervision and increased consumer awareness initiatives have further contributed to improved service standards within the cooperative banking ecosystem.
