RBI CIRCULAR

Aadhaar Enabled Payment System - Due Diligence of AePS Touchpoint Operators

- 

June 27, 2025

1. Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) is a payment system operated by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) that facilitates interoperable transactions using Aadhaar enabled authentication. AePS plays a prominent role in enabling financial inclusion.

2. In recent times, there have been reports of frauds perpetuated through AePS due to identity theft or compromise of customer credentials. To protect bank customers from such frauds, and to maintain trust and confidence in the safety and security of the system, a need is felt to enhance the robustness of AePS. Accordingly, as announced in Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies dated February 08, 2024, it has been decided to issue directions for streamlining the process for onboarding of AePS touchpoint operators and strengthening fraud risk management. Detailed instructions are placed in the Annex.

3. These directions are issued under Section 18 read with Section 10(2) of the Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007) and shall come into effect from January 01, 2026.

The Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund Scheme, 2014 - Revised Operational Guidelines

June 25, 2025

1. The Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund Scheme, 2014, prescribes the process to be followed by the banks for transfer to and claim of the amounts transferred to DEA Fund, including submission of various returns.

2. Instructions have been issued to banks from time to time in the form of operational guidelines since 2014. A review has recently been carried out to consolidate and rationalise the extant instructions. The revised instructions are provided at Annex.