[This blog offers information on how banks open accounts of illiterate persons, blind and partially blind persons other disabled persons]
Blind, illiterate, and other disabled persons can open and make certain bank account operations using thumb impressions. Bankers customarily extend helping hand to the disabled persons like sick/old/incapacitate who cannot be physically present to the bank, by offering special service to them.
Accounts of Illiterate persons
Accounts can be opened in the single name of the illiterate person using thumb impression. Normally, the opening of a joint account with an illiterate person is not permitted in banks. Such customers should personally come to the bank, with a person (normally a close relative) to withdraw cash along with their passbook. The Authorised Officer of the Bank would compare the Photo and thumb impression available in the Bank’s record and allow withdrawal of the money from his/her account. No checkbooks would be issued to illiterate persons.
Many people have a confusion over why do officials ask for the left thumb impression(LTI) in the case of males and the right thumb (RTI) impression in the case of female for authorization. Legally speaking, there is no enactment with regard to usage of LTI or RTI by a person. However, we generally see that use of LTI to represent the thumb mark of a man and the use of RTI to represent thumb mark of a woman. Actually, these are not Rules. They are only followed as convention and custom. An established custom becomes part of the system and gets the recognition of the law of procedure. To know more read:
LEGAL VALIDITY OF THUMB IMPRESSION: LTI OR RTI WHICH IS CORRECT?
Joint Accounts:
Joint accounts of two illiterate persons normally not allowed. However, at the discretion of the bank, the account may be opened for closely related people like illiterate husband and wife under a condition that the account should be operated jointly. It means both the illiterate account holders have to personally visit the branch for the operation of the account. An illiterate person is allowed to open accounts jointly with a person who is literate and closely related to him. The mode of operation has to be jointly operated in that case. Operation by ‘Either or Survivor’ former or survivor ‘or’ latter or survivor’, etc. not allowed.
Accounts of blind and low vision customers:
According to RBI guidelines, Banks should not equate visually impaired customers with illiterate customers. Banks should ensure that all the banking facilities such as cheque book facility including third party cheques, ATM facility, net banking facility, locker facility, retail loans, and credit cards are invariably offered to the visually challenged without any discrimination. They are also allowed to open joint accounts.
Accounts of old sick and physically disabled persons:
Banks are advised by RBI that in the event of a customer who is too ill to sign a cheque and he cannot be physically present in the bank to withdraw cash, banks should help such old, sick and incapacitate persons are not willing to open joint accounts with other family members.Accounts of disabled persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation or a combination of any two or more of such conditions
Banks were advised by RBI to rely upon the Guardianship Certificate issued either by the District Court under Mental Health Act, 1987 or by the Local Level Committees under the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 for the purposes of opening / operating bank accounts by disabled persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities.
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