**Executive Summary**
This document is the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Amendment Directions, 2025, issued on December 29, 2025, regarding Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures for Rural Co-operative Banks. It amends the RBI Directions of November 28, 2025, to clarify responsibilities for entities uploading and downloading customer records from the Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR). These Directions come into force with immediate effect.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment Overview:** The document modifies the existing Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025.
* **CKYCR Responsibility Clarification:**
* The RE that last updated KYC records on the CKYCR is responsible for verifying the customer's identity and/or address.
* Banks downloading KYC records from the CKYCR are not required to re-verify identity and/or address, provided the KYC records are current and compliant with PML Act, 2002/ PML Rules, 2005.
* Banks downloading and relying on KYC records from CKYCR remain responsible for all other aspects of CDD procedure and provisions of these Directions.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Rural Co-operative Banks**
* **Impact:** These banks now have clarified guidelines regarding responsibility for KYC verification when using the CKYCR. If a bank has updated the KYC records in CKYCR, it will be responsible for verifying the customer’s identity/ address. If a bank downloads KYC records from CKYCR, it does not need to re-verify identity/address if the KYC records are current and compliant with PML Act, 2002/ PML Rules, 2005.
* **Action Required:** Banks must update their KYC procedures to align with these amended directions, particularly regarding reliance on CKYCR data and the division of verification responsibilities. They should understand and implement the amended responsibilities for uploading and downloading KYC records from the CKYCR.
Key Entities Referenced
Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Know Your Customer) Amendment Directions, 2025: The primary subject of the document; amendment directions issued by the Reserve Bank of India regarding KYC compliance for rural co-operative banks.
Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025: The original directions being amended by the current document.
Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002: Act which the original directions comply with and is mentioned in the explanation.
Banking Regulation Act, 1949: Act which grants the Reserve Bank of India certain powers related to banking regulation.
Reserve Bank of India: The regulatory body issuing the directions.
RBI/2025-26/163
DOR.AML.REC.367/14.01.005/2025-26 December 29, 2025
Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Know Your Customer)
Amendment Directions, 2025
Reserve Bank had issued Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Know Your
Customer) Directions, 2025 dated November 28, 2025 (hereinafter referred to as the
Directions) in compliance of the provisions of the PML Act, 2002 and the Rules made
thereunder. There is a need to amend the Directions to clarify the responsibility of entities
uploading customer records to and downloading the same from CKYCR, based on the
office memorandum (OM) titled “CKYCR and the ultimate responsibility of REs – reg.”
issued by the Department of Revenue, Govt of India, dated September 18, 2025.
2. Accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 35A of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949, the Banking Regulation Act (AACS), 1949, read with section 56 of
the Act ibid., section 10(2) read with section 18 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act
2007 (Act 51 of 2007), section 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999,
Rule 9(14) of the Prevention of Money-Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules,
2005, and all other enabling laws in this regard, the Reserve Bank being satisfied that it
is necessary and expedient in the public interest so to do, hereby issues the Amendment
Directions hereinafter specified.
3. Short Title and Commencement
(1) These Directions shall be called the Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative
Banks – Know Your Customer) Amendment Directions, 2025.
(2) These Directions shall come into force with immediate effect.
4. These Amendment Directions modify the Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative
Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025 as under:(1) In paragraph 64, the following “Explanation” is being inserted after sub-paragraph
(10):
“Explanation: The RE that has last uploaded or updated the customer’s KYC records in
the CKYCR shall be responsible for verifying the identity and / or address of the customer,
as applicable. Accordingly, any bank downloading and relying on such records from the
CKCYR shall not be required to re-verify the authenticity of the customer’s identity and /
or address, provided the KYC records downloaded from CKYCR are current and
compliant with the PML Act, 2002 / PML Rules, 2005. The bank downloading and relying
on KYC records downloaded from the CKCYR shall remain responsible for all aspects of
CDD procedure and provisions of these Directions, except verification of identity and / or
address of the customer.”
(Veena Srivastava)
Chief General Manager