Guwahati: The Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) has alleged that digital banking software used by the State Bank of India (SBI) prevents Christian applicants from selecting the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category during account opening and KYC updates.
The forum claimed that applicants who select “Christian” as their religion are automatically classified under the “General” category, with the software allegedly disabling the option to identify themselves as Scheduled Tribe.
In a representation submitted to the SBI regional manager in Itanagar on October 5, the ACF described the alleged software behaviour as “potentially discriminatory” and called for immediate technical corrections.
The forum argued that tribal status in Arunachal Pradesh is not linked to a person’s religion under the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950. It said individuals holding valid ST certificates should not be automatically placed in the General category because of their religious affiliation.
“SBI is not the competent authority to de-list a tribal Christian customer who possesses a valid ST certificate,” the forum said, while questioning the basis for the alleged classification.
The ACF has urged SBI to examine its customer onboarding and KYC software logic and clarify whether any regulatory or Reserve Bank of India directive requires such classification.
It also called for changes to the system so that religion and Scheduled Tribe status are not treated as mutually exclusive categories during account opening or KYC procedures.
The forum has given the bank 15 days to communicate the corrective measures taken. It warned that failure to address the issue could lead to protests and agitations at SBI branches across Arunachal Pradesh.
The allegations relate to the functioning of SBI’s digital banking system, and the bank’s response to the claims is awaited.