The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, provides for establishment of a body of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for States to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. This Act, enacted by the Parliament, uses the expression ‘Lokpal’ exclusively for a body established by virtue of coming into force of the Act of 2013 vide section 3 thereof, with effect from 16.01.2024.

The Reserve Bank of India had launched the ‘Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021’ in 2021 to provide cost-free redressal of customer complaints involving deficiency in services rendered by entities regulated by RBI. Notably, the Scheme, when translated into Hindi, was read as ‘रिज़र्वबैंक-एकीकृत लोकपाल योजना, 2021’. The usage of the term ‘Lokpal’ (‘लोकपाल’) in the RBI’s Scheme is thus contrary to the provisions of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, as the term ‘Lokpal’ after coming into force of  the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 means a body established under section 3 of the Act to be called the Lokpal.

The matter was, therefore,  taken up with the Reserve Bank of India to take corrective measures and rename the ‘Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021’(‘रिज़र्वबैंक-एकीकृत ओम्बड्समैन योजना, 2021’) forthwith, including in all the other related official documents concerning its Ombudsman scheme.

It is hereby brought to the notice of all concerned that the Reserve Bank of India has now replaced the word ‘लोकपाल’ with the word 'ओम्बड्समैन’ in the Hindi version of  ‘Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021’. The RB-IOS 2021, in Hindi is now termed as ‘रिज़र्वबैंक-एकीकृत ओम्बड्समैन योजना, 2021’. 

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NKR/PSM