Concerns Raised Over SBI's Digital Banking Software Discrimination in Arunachal Pradesh
Allegations of Discrimination by SBI's Software
Image used for representational purpose only. (Photo: PTI)
Itanagar, Oct 7: The Arunachal Christian Forum has raised concerns regarding the State Bank of India's digital banking system, claiming it prevents Christian applicants from selecting the “Scheduled Tribe” category when opening accounts or updating KYC information.
In a formal complaint submitted to the SBI regional manager in Itanagar on October 5, the Christian organization stated that when users identify as “Christian,” the software automatically disables the “Scheduled Tribe” option, categorizing them as “General.”
The Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) described this software behavior as "potentially discriminatory," asserting that tribal status in Arunachal Pradesh, as per the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order of 1950, should not depend on one's religious beliefs.
"The State Bank of India lacks the authority to reclassify a tribal Christian customer who holds a valid ST certificate. It cannot simply categorize a tribal Christian as General based on their declared religion," the forum emphasized.
The ACF has called on SBI to review its onboarding procedures, seeking clarification on whether any regulations or directives from the Reserve Bank of India allow for such classifications, and to amend the software to ensure that religion and tribal status are not treated as mutually exclusive.
Furthermore, the forum has given the bank a 15-day period to respond with corrective measures, threatening protests at all SBI branches in Arunachal Pradesh if the matter is not addressed.