Fake Caste Certificate Appointments: RTI Activist Seeks RBI Clarification through CIC.

Moneylife: Vineeta Deshmukh: Mumbai: Saturday, October 04, 2025.

Has the Nagpur office of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed some of its employees who allegedly provided fake caste certificates to get the jobs? Since a requites filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act did not provide the required information, a second appeal has been filed with the central information commission (CIC) to direct the central bank to provide the information, pertaining to the larger public interest.

Noted RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal, on 29th September, has appealed to the CIC to order the maximum penalty to central public information officer (CPIO) Priya Rane under Section 20 of the RTI Act and direct disciplinary action against her under Section of the RTI Act, for defying the first appellate authority (FAA)’s order to provide the required information.

RTI activist Agrawal had filed an RTI application, on 18 July 2025, seeking information from the Nagpur office of RBI, on whether such cases of appointments using fake caste certificates were ever detected, if the individuals concerned were allowed to complete their service tenure, and whether post-retirement benefits such as pensions were withheld. He also sought details as to whether any complaints were received by the RBI in this regard, any action taken against the accused individuals, attempts to recover salaries and benefits, and information on court cases linked to these alleged fraudulent appointments.

• The RTI request to RBI (Nagpur regional office) is as follows:
• Is it true that some individuals were found to have joined RBI at its Nagpur regional office by using fake caste certificates?
• If yes, were these individuals able to complete their full service tenure till the dates of their respective retirements?
• When did the RBI, for the first time, come to know about such individuals as referred to in query (1) above?
• Complete information on complaints received by RBI against individuals as referred to in query (1) above and action taken by RBI on these complaints.
• Is it true that RBI later stopped post-retirement benefits, including pensions of such individuals as referred to in query (1) above?
• Date on which RBI later stopped post-retirement benefits, including pensions of such individuals as referred to in query (1) above.
• Complete information on action taken by RBI to recover salaries and other monetary benefits given to individuals as referred to so far in query (1) above mentioning also the total amount involved for recovery, and the amount recovered so far.
• Complete information on court cases filed either by RBI or by such individuals as referred to in query (1) above in respect of aspects mentioned in queries of this RTI application mentioning the present status of such court cases.
• Complete information on the steps taken by RBI to prevent any future such case of individuals getting jobs at RBI through fake documents.
• File notings on movement of this RTI application.
• Mr Agrawal, in his second appeal, rued that the CPIO conducted herself “in the most irresponsible manner” by stating that the queries are not specific. The FAA Vandana Khare, to whom Mr Agrawal made his first appeal, directed CPIO Rane to provide all the information under Section 7 (6) of the RTI Act within ten days. Ms Khare also stated that “in case there is no such of taking recruitment at RBI Nagpur office on basis of fake documents/ caste certificates etc,” then to specifically mention that. CPIO Rane, instead of providing information, repeated the same reply that she had given earlier.

Rues Mr Agrawal, “To my great shock and surprise, the same CPIO again sent the same very reply against which the first appeal was filed. I appeal that RBI may kindly be directed to provide exact and specific information on all my requested information and related documents but now to be provided free-of-cost under section 7(6) of RTI Act.”

Mr Agrawal has sought a priority second appeal hearing with the CIC on the basis of his being a senior citizen.

(Vinita Deshmukh is consulting editor of Moneylife. She is also the convener of the Pune Metro Jagruti Abhiyaan. She is the recipient of prestigious awards like the Statesman Award for Rural Reporting, which she won twice in 1998 and 2005 and the Chameli Devi Jain Award for outstanding media person for her investigation series on Dow Chemicals. She co-authored the book "To The Last Bullet - The Inspiring Story of A Braveheart - Ashok Kamte" with Vinita Kamte and is the author of "The Mighty Fall".)