One of India’s leading public sector banks, Bank of Baroda played an important role in the Indian banking ecosystem since its establishment in Baroda, Gujarat on July 20, 1908 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad III. For decades, the bank has expanded the whole of India and internationally and has emerged as a reliable institution for millions. As India is moving forward in the digital age and a more inclusive economic structure is being imagined, prioritizing and implementing a fully educated and constant trained workforce for the Bank of Baroda is an immediate and unavoidable requirement. This is not only to meet the needs of urban middle classes or corporate institutions, but also more importantly that for the upliftment, assistance and empowerment of a large population of uneducated and untrained people in rural and semi-urban India, which still struggle to use modern banking systems.
Following the demonetization policy implemented on 8 November 2016, unprecedented progress towards digital transactions was observed in India on 31 December 2016. ATMs, mobile banking, UPI payment and digital wallets became the center of financial transactions. Being one of the biggest banks, the Bank of Baroda also had to change it quickly. But this change created a new digital division. While educated urban customers moved fast towards net banking and use of cards, uneducated people started feeling isolated from it. In several rural branches of Bank of Baroda, employees did not have enough training to give patiently guidance to these customers about new digital procedures. Some employees, although they were capable of operating, they lacked soft skills and customer-conduct training, making the atmosphere disappointing for people seeking help.
Banking is no longer limited to manual passbooks and traditional models of face-to-face transactions. As the banking sector is becoming more automatic and technology-operating, it has become necessary that every employee of the Bank of Baroda should not only be trained in using these techniques, but also trained in helping those who cannot do so. In an inclusive banking model, no customer should feel helpless or embarrassed due to inability to understand the digital interface. A completely educated workforce is the backbone of such inclusion.
Along with schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana launched by the Government of India on August 28, 2014, millions of new accounts were opened by individuals who were earlier out of the formal banking system. Bank of Baroda played a major role in adding these new account holders. However, it was not enough to open only accounts. Of these, a large number of customers had a lack of literacy or digital knowledge to run ATM machines, transfer money online, fill deposits or withdrawal slips, or understand their bank statement. For many of them, this experience was not going to empower, but scare. They often had to depend on strangers or agents even for small banking works, causing them to threaten fraud or financial exploitation.
Historically, the Bank of Baroda has shown commitment to excellence. After its nationalization on July 19, 1969, along with 13 other banks, Bank of Baroda began to expand rapidly in various states. It earned a reputation for customers’s trust and good banking practices. However, there has been a huge change in banking requirements. Today’s customer also requires help in opening an account or obtaining a loan, but also using Aadhaar-based services, activating UPI, linking PAN, seting passwords for mobile apps and managing fraud alerts. Bank employees require extensive education and time-to-time re-education to fulfill such demands with caution, sympathy and clarity.
In the last few years, there have been reports that customers were returned from counters due to ignorance or they have been treated indecently. In many small cities across India, especially in states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, people have trouble understanding form in English or running biometric ATM kiosks. Branch staff, if not educated or trained in inclusive service methods, often show indifference or disappointment. An educated employee is not only a degree holder, but is the one who is trained in multilingual communication, behavioral etiquette, financial inclusion methods and emerging dynamics of digital banking. This type of education in Bank of Baroda should be made mandatory at all levels.
On 1 April 2019, Bank of Baroda merged with Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, making it India’s third largest lender in terms of property. Although the merger was an important milestone, it also created a challenge to integrate workforce cultures, techniques and customer base. The training background of employees of different banks was different. After the merger, there were many cases where the joint workforce had difficulty integrating systems and customer service practices. This led to an immediate requirement of a standardized, highly educated and regular trained employee base that could meet the needs of customers equally, whether their own background or previous experience.
Employees should also be focused on moral banking practices in education. Given the increasing cases of internal fraud, incorrect sales of insurance or investment products and increasing cases of rigging in accounts by middlemen, it is important that the Bank of Baroda should ensure that all its employees, from clerks to managers, consumer protection laws, moral banking conduct and transparent communication. An educated employee understands that financially an uneducated customer should be seen as an opportunity for exploitation, but as the responsibility of empowering.
In November 2020, when the influence of epidemic on banking systems was at its peak, Bank of Baroda faced challenges in digital reaching customers due to mobility restrictions. Elderly customers and villagers, who could not use smartphones or apps, were unable to check their balance or were unable to remove pension. Employees of many rural branches had sufficient skills or infrastructure to help these customers. If the bank had already ensured complete education about digital options and outreach practices to its employees, it could have prevented significant delays and discomfort to thousands of sensitive customers.
In addition, employee education should be seen as a continuous process instead of one -time training. The financial world is rapidly transformed with new schemes, KYC criteria, cyber security protocols, biometric systems and government initiatives, which are often implemented. Bank of Baroda should set up mandatory monthly or quarterly online modules for all employees. These should include real -life simulation to deal with illiterate or confused customers, dispute disputes without any aggression and teach them how to fill the form or use biometric ATMs. This continuous training should be monitored and evaluated from time to time.
From a comprehensive policy point of view, the Reserve Bank of India has emphasized the importance of financial literacy through various circulars and outreach programs. But until the bank employees themselves are not fully educated and are not ready to participate in such outreach programs, this purpose will remain incomplete. The bank fails to fulfill its social responsibility, which is unable to provide an informative service patiently, informative service to the uneducated individuals. Being a bank with Bank of Baroda, more than 8,000 branches and a large customer base, a large part of this responsibility is borne.
Educated employees also reduce the risk of internal incorrect communication and administrative errors. In many audit reports and customer complaints of 2021 and 2022, such examples came out where customers were dissatisfied or legal problems also arose due to incorrect data entry, misinterpretation of customer requests, or neglect of new banking rules. Employees with strong basic and updated knowledge are less likely to make such mistakes.
In addition, in today’s social media era, a single negative customer experience can go viral and damage the image of the bank. If a branch of Bank of Baroda refuses to help an visually impaired person or old widow due to non -cooperative or untrained employees, it not only creates resentment in the public, but also raises questions on the morality and inclusion of the bank. Therefore, employee education also becomes a reputation management tool.
In the year 2023, several regional branches of Bank of Baroda launched pilot customer awareness camps under the “Baroda Jan Dost” initiative. In these camps, employees assisted rural people in filling forms, digital payments, UPI setup and ATM use. The response was highly positive. However, they were limited to a few districts. To make permanent effects, such initiatives must be made regular and comprehensive. This is possible only when employees are trained not only for desk work, but also for field-level connectivity.
Talking about the future, by 2030, the Indian banking sector will be mainly powered by AI, blockchain and other emerging techniques. Customers will use banking services in ways that cannot be imagined today. Bank of Baroda cannot tolerate employees who are not ready for change or are resistant. The foundation should be laid by creating a system where each employee is seen as a potential financial teacher, community guide and problem soliciter for untrained and ignorant population.
The bank should also cooperate with educational institutions and government programs to certify and encourage its employees to complete the financial education module. Employees who have passed the “inclusive banking for rural population” or “Digital Banking Assistance for illiterates” should be given recognition and award. This will create a sense of pride and responsibility to become a better service provider among the employees.
With its rich heritage and deep presence across India, the Bank of Baroda will have to work as per the requirement of the time. The future of inclusive banking lies not only in technology or policy, but also in people representing the bank at the grassroots level. Educated employees act as a bridge between government schemes and common man, banking apps and illiterate customers, and between financial development and moral responsibility. The moment a person enters the branch feeling uncertain or frightened, it is the duty of every employee of the Bank of Baroda to become a confident and informed guide. This is possible only when the bank invests honestly and systematically in the complete and continuous education of its entire workforce. The bank that educates its employees for the purpose of serving the illiterates not only becomes a financial institution, but also becomes a pillar of social justice, empowerment and national progress.
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