India, the second largest population of the world, is home to immense variations-not only in culture and language, but also in education, ease and socio-economic progress. In such a complex environment, the banking system plays an important role in integrating citizens into the nation’s economic structure. Since economic liberalization in 1991, there have been revolutionary changes in India’s financial sector. From manual books to digital database, and from personal transactions to online banking apps, Indian banks have been intense and transformative.
However, with this progress there is also the responsibility to ensure that the weakest and most untrained members of the society are not left behind. In this context, it becomes necessary to pay attention to this important issue: the immediate need to adopt a completely educated employee system for all banks in India, which aims to provide forms to the uneducated and untrained individuals to fill the form and help other banking work.
The journey of banking in India begins in the 18th century, when the Bank of Hindustan was established in 1770. For decades, banks have become a column of economic development, especially after nationalization of major banks by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1969. The purpose of this bold step was to make banking accessible, especially in the common man, especially rural and semi-urban areas. Despite this historical intervention, even in the 21st century, a large part of the Indian population is beyond the effective scope of financial inclusion.
Although the objective of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) launched on 28 August 2014 was to include the poor in formal banking, it did not solve the ground level problems. Many beneficiaries of PMJDY accounts are illiterate, semi-literate, or come from extremely poor or rural backgrounds. For such people, filling a simple form, understanding the terms of banking, or working on banking apps and websites also becomes a mountain of complications. Although Digital India has made a lot of progress since 2015, millions of people are deprived of it – not because of technology, but because of their inability to read, understand and implement it.
There is a basic difference between financial access and financial inclusion. Financial access means opening a bank account. But true financial inclusion goes beyond access to access – including the ability to effectively use financial services. This requires understanding the form, updating the passbook, withdrawing money without any fear and understanding interest rates, charges and punishments. This includes the ability to submit a grievance redressal application in case of fraud or injustice.
Unfortunately, millions of poor farmers, daily wage laborers, elderly citizens, disabled persons and women from backward areas cannot do any of these work independently. The modern banking system, with its complex processes and rapidly growing digitization, has unknowingly made them even more vulnerable.
In this background, the demand for an educated employee system in all banks becomes a national requirement only by a social requirement. A full educated employee cannot only be called a person who passes the exam and receiving a degree. It is also called trained personnel who understand the banking system well and who are sympathetic, interactive, and are ready to help individuals struggling with forms, applications and procedures. Such employees act as a bridge between the banking institute and those who are working for their service.
For example, take an example of a farmer from Jharkhand or a laborer from Rajasthan who goes to the bank branch to apply for loan under a government scheme like Mudra Yojana. He will not know how to write a loan application, attach the required documents or fill the related column. If bank employees are not trained or indifferent to assist, such individuals either leave the branch or fall prey to local middlemen who exploit them financially. If bank employees were specially trained to help such uneducated customers to help patience and respectfully, this exploitation could be easily avoided.
In addition, we should not forget that India’s old population is increasing significantly. According to the 2011 census, the number of elders aged 60 and above was 10.4 crores, and by 2050 it is expected to reach 31.9 crores. Many older people are not familiar with digital banking equipment or do not understand fine letters or technical language. Educated employees with patience and mutual skills are necessary to help such senior citizens to help such senior citizens to help in basic tasks such as pension removal, Aadhaar linking or updating KYC. Without this assistance, many of them fall prey to fraud or lose their reasonable benefits.
Another major class that requires assistance is women of backward or orthodox background. Women, especially in some areas of India, have been traditionally deprived of formal education. Even today, many of them are first account holders under schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). They face heavy hesitation in dealing with bank employees, and often feel humiliated when they do not read or fill the form properly. An educated employee system that trains bank employees in sexual-sensitive practices will ensure that such women are treated respectfully and provide proper assistance to them.
The concept of banking correspondent (BC) was initiated in 2006 to provide banking services in rural areas. Although they help bridge this difference, they are not the option of assistance given by educated, trained staff to the branch. BCs are often low -payed and are not always equipped with full knowledge or rights to meet all banking requirements. Therefore, each bank branch should have trained and literate employees who can help personally help weakened customers from beginning to end, without any delay or contempt.
The scenario of financial fraud is also increasing rapidly. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) registered 13,530 cases of banking fraud worth ₹ 30,252 crore in 2022-23. Most of the victims of online scams, OTP theft or fake loan applications are uneducated or digitally illiterate citizens. They often signed or approval on things that they do not understand, resulting in financial loss and trauma. If someone was a well-trained, literate employee who guided them to fill the form, confirm sources or to understand SMS alert, these fraud could be reduced to a great extent.
By 2025, more than 60% of India’s population lives in rural and semi-urban areas. According to a 2021 survey by the National Statistics Office (NSO), literacy in rural areas is still about 15% behind urban areas. Even in literate people, only a small percentage is financially literate. The National Financial Education Center (NCFE) in its 2019 report found that only 27% of Indians are financially literate. In such an environment, every bank branch has a fully educated and trained employees, not a luxury, but a means of living for the general public.
Now the question arises: What should be the structure of such a system? Each bank should ensure that at least two to three specially designated employees are available at all times to help customers fill the form, documentation, online procedures and application form in each branch. These employees should be trained in many regional languages and will have to undergo regular sessions of sympathy training, customer service, legal documentation and fraud detection.
Additionally, banks should develop visual and oral support systems in their premises. Audio guides, touch-screen visual systems and language-specific form assistants should be installed inside the branches to empower those who cannot read. Volunteers of local colleges can also be invited to provide customer aid in monitoring, such as the end of the financial year or months of loan disbursement months.
Technology should be used as a friend, not as a gatekeeper. Although digitization is the future, it should be inclusive. For every digital service given, a human option should be available in the branch. Its purpose is not to slow down progress, but to bring everyone together in the journey of financial development.
In addition, RBI should issue compulsory guidelines, making it mandatory for banks to maintain a trained and educated employee unit to help the underprivileged. These guidelines should include punishment for non-transportation and awards for outstanding service in the region. The annual audit should not only include financial reports, but also assess the quality of human assistance in each bank branch. These qualitative values should be publicly published to ensure accountability.
To understand the human value of ignoring the issue, a tragic incident in Madhya Pradesh in 2023 can be seen, where an elderly tribal woman was asked to go to the bank branch seven times to extract her pension. Due to fear in not filling the form properly and asking, she missed out on getting pension. When the matter came to light, the officials concerned were suspended, but there was no change in the system. Such incidents are not rare, and these reflect systemic negligence.
Banks are not only the guardians of money; They are the face of the economy. And there should be a welcome smile on the face of the economy, not a sense of rejection. An educated employee system acts like a translator between the language of the bank and the language of the public. Now the time has come that the Indian banking system should understand that the form filled by an uneducated person is not a mistake; Rather, there is a request for help.
To strengthen public confidence and accountability, banks should include local community leaders, non-governmental organizations and retired banking professionals as honorary advisors to poor and illiterate customers. This community-banking engagement creates a more human and accessible environment.
From a policy point of view, the Ministry of Finance, Reserve Bank of India and Bharatiya Banks Union should work together to issue a national structure on “Inclusive Customer Support System”. In this structure, each bank should be instructed to prepare a roadmap, budget and implementation plan to integrate such a system by 2026. It should also be a part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) obligations to train and maintain the primary task of the underprivileged and untrained people.
The year 2025 represents a significant turn in India’s financial story. As artificial intelligence, automation and online banking are becoming common, we should not forget millions of people who still write their names with trembling hands, whose fingers cannot swipe on the smartphone and whose eyes cannot read the official letter. For these citizens, the bank is not just a help to help – it is honor, it is justice, it is inclusion.
If the banks really want to respect the mission of financial inclusion, they have to focus on providing access to the account by opening the account. And this access can only come through the national commitment to deploy fully educated and socially conscious employees in every corner of India. Until this does not happen, the dream of inclusive India will remain incomplete, no matter how many digital payments apps are launched.
By ensuring that every Indian – whether his education, background or merit is – can go to the bank and get service with respect and understanding, we are not only strengthening the banking system, but also strengthening the democratic values on which the Indian Republic is hinging.
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