Banking Regulation Act, 1949 · Section guide
Section 26A: Depositor Education and Awareness Fund
Reviewed by CA Nikhil Gupta · Last reviewed 18 September 2026
Section 26A — Depositor Education and Awareness Fund. Establishes the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund and requires transfer of amounts in accounts/deposits left unoperated. Or unclaimed for ten years, together with the statutory right of the claimant to seek repayment through the bank and the Fund framework.
Official statute linkedProvision-specific anatomyPractical case + evidence file
Statutory structure and provision map
This map is a provision-specific explanation, not a substitute for the exact statutory text.
Core statutory rule
Establishes the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund and requires transfer of amounts in accounts/deposits left unoperated or unclaimed for ten years, together with the statutory right of the claimant to seek repayment through the bank and the Fund framework.
Condition / limitation
How to read the provisionSection 26A: read the operative proposition with its defined terms and cross-references in the official Act.
Timing / amount / process
Boundary of the ruleDo not expand Section 26A by analogy; distinguish statutory text from stricter policy or later RBI requirements.
Professional application
Explain transfer trigger, Fund use, depositor claim/payment and bank reimbursement; link the actual scheme and operational instructions.
Evidence / working-paper checklist
- Section 26A evidence: general-ledger / treasury reconciliation.
- Section 26A evidence: return or financial statement submitted to RBI/Registrar.
- Section 26A evidence: auditor sign-off or working papers where relevant.
- Section 26A evidence: filing acknowledgement and calculation of the statutory reference date.
Retain the event date and source version with the file so the conclusion remains reproducible after later amendments.
Common mistakes to avoid
- For Section 26A, avoid using a legacy Friday/fortnight reference after the statutory date changed.
- For Section 26A, avoid submitting a return without a ledger reconciliation.
- For Section 26A, avoid assuming an extension exists without a written statutory/RBI basis.
Related sections inside the Act
Use these links to read Section 26A in its statutory sequence, especially where the provision imports definitions, approvals, appeals, penalties or winding-up consequences from neighbouring sections.
Current-law source control
Source control: Section 26A is anchored to the official DFS consolidated text; later changes require separate Gazette verification.
Dated matters: verify any later Gazette, RBI direction or binding judgment affecting Section 26A on the event date.
Primary official sources
Disclaimer
This Finin2min page is an educational and professional reference. Banking regulation is fact-, entity- and date-sensitive. Verify the current Act, Gazette amendments and commencement notifications, applicable RBI Rules/directions and the transaction record before acting or filing.