Overview
- The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, has been passed by both houses of India's Parliament, but critics argue it fails to address systemic banking issues.
- Raghav Chadha highlighted public distrust in banks due to rising fraud cases, with over 36,000 incidents reported in 2024, and inadequate cybersecurity measures.
- High loan interest rates, ranging from 8.5% to 13%, are making housing and education unaffordable, pushing many into debt before they start earning.
- The closure of over 3,000 rural bank branches in 2022-23 has exacerbated financial access challenges for rural populations, forcing long travel for basic services.
- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responded to Chadha's concerns with humor, but no additional government measures to address these issues have been announced.