If you have money lying idle in a bank account that hasn’t been operated for over 10 years, you can still recover it, thanks to initiatives taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). As per RBI guidelines, savings, current, and term deposit accounts that remain inactive for a decade or more are classified as unclaimed accounts, and the balances are transferred to the RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund.
Importantly, the funds continue to belong to the account holders or their legal heirs and can be claimed at any time. To make this process easier, the RBI has launched the UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access Information) portal, which allows individuals to check for unclaimed deposits held across multiple banks through a single platform.
The portal requires basic details such as name and PAN or registered mobile number to search for matching records. If an unclaimed deposit is identified, the claimant must approach the concerned bank branch with valid KYC documents—such as Aadhaar, voter ID, passport, or driving licence—and submit a request for refund. After verification, the bank releases the funds along with any applicable interest.
To further support customers, banks across India are conducting special drives and help camps between October and December 2025 to facilitate the recovery of unclaimed deposits. The RBI has advised citizens to stay financially vigilant and periodically review their bank accounts. More information is available on the UDGAM portal at udgam.rbi.org.in.
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