Leh, Feb 14: Crisil Foundation organised a series of Financial Literacy Camps across Leh district from February 9 to 13 as part of Financial Literacy Week (FLW) 2026, with a focused campaign on “KYC – Your First Step to Safe Banking.”
The outreach drive was conducted by the Foundation’s Centre for Financial Literacy (CFL) staff in coordination with line departments, including National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Reserve Bank of India-supported banks, Rural Self Employment Training Institutes, the Rural Development Department, and Ladakh Rural Livelihood Mission.
Financial Literacy Week has been observed annually by the Reserve Bank of India since 2016, each year focusing on specific themes to promote awareness among different sections of society. The 2026 theme centres on KYC compliance, Central KYC Registry, and maintaining account discipline.
During the week-long programme, officials underlined that KYC is a mandatory regulatory requirement designed to ensure secure banking. Sessions highlighted the simplicity of KYC compliance through safe and convenient channels, while also introducing participants to the Central KYC (CKYC) facility aimed at streamlining documentation processes.
Speakers cautioned citizens against fake calls, suspicious messages, and fraudulent links seeking KYC updates, warning that such attempts could lead to financial loss. Community members were also sensitised about the risks of acting as money mules after being lured by inducements.
Beyond the theme-based discussions, CFL staff covered topics such as the Banking Ombudsman mechanism, grievance redressal systems, prevention of cyber frauds, awareness on unclaimed deposits, and the use of the UDGAM portal.
Officials from NABARD, RSETI, RDD-RGSA, LRLM, and the regional team of Crisil Foundation delivered presentations aligned with the Financial Literacy Week agenda.
Despite harsh weather conditions, the awareness camps recorded active participation from community members, Self-Help Groups, and Panchayati Raj Institution representatives across blocks of the district.
Empanelled by the Reserve Bank of India, Crisil Foundation is implementing the Moneywise Centre for Financial Literacy Project with funding support under the DEA Fund (RBI) and FIF-NABARD, and backing from State Bank of India.
Since June 2022, the Foundation has been working across all blocks of the Union Territory of Ladakh to promote financial literacy and strengthen financial inclusion in line with RBI and NABARD directives. Thirteen Moneywise Centres for Financial Literacy have been established across Leh and Kargil districts, covering all 31 blocks of the Union Territory. These centres function under the supervision of the Lead District Manager, who acts as the nodal officer representing RBI and SBI.
