NPR document not mandatory for KYC process, clarifies RBI

After creating a flutter by announcing a National Population Register (NPR) document as proof for its Know Your Customer (KYC) procedure, the Reserve Bank of India has clarified that NPR letter is not mandatory for the KYC process.

“As per RBI’s directives, not only the letter issued by the National Population Register, even other documents like passport, driving licence, Aadhaar number, voter identity card and NREGA job card are also officially valid documents (OVDs) for KYC purpose,” said a TOI report quoting the central bank's response.

Submission of NPR letter is not mandatory, it added.

According to bankers, this is not new. NPR letter is considered as one of the valid documents for KYC since 2017.

Recently, the central bank in a Telugu daily advertisement asked customers to submit KYC details before January 31, 2020. The list of KYC documents that it sought included the NPR letter. It further warned banks customers of not being able to transfer money in case of failure.

This advertisement created unrest among the people, many of whom took to Twitter to question the move.

The NPR letter kerfuffle comes at a time when there are ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC).

The enrolment for NPR will be done along with the houselisting phase of Census 2021 during April to September 2020 in all the States and Union Territories, except Assam.