Crisil Foundation, in collaboration with the Ladakh Rural Livelihood Mission (LRLM), organised a Financial Literacy Awareness Programme at Chemday, Kharu on  June 11. The programme was conducted by the Centre for Financial Literacy (CFL), Kharu, in coordination with the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and Subin Kundal, Manager and Lead District Officer, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Jammu.

The awareness camp witnessed the participation of several dignitaries, including Subin Kundal, Manager, RBI Regional Office Jammu; Shabir Ahmad, SDM Kharu; Tsewang Dorjay, AGM NABARD; Prem Bodh, Director RSETI Leh; Phuntsog Angchuck, Lead District Manager Leh; Tundup, DDC NABARD; Aasiya Tabasum, DPM NRLM; Wasim Akram, DMM NRLM; Bilal Bhat, Area Manager, CFL Project; and officials from various banks, including JK Bank Chemday, SBI Kharu, PNB Kharu, and SBI Sakti.

A total of 80 participants, including members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and residents from the local community, actively participated in the programme.

During the session, officials from the concerned departments sensitised participants on a range of financial and banking-related topics, including:
•    The regulatory role of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
•    Customer rights and grievance redressal mechanisms, including the RBI Ombudsman Scheme
•    Financial products and services offered by banks and line departments
•    Government-sponsored social security and employment generation schemes
•    Cyber fraud prevention and safe digital banking practices
•    Utilisation of grievance redressal channels for the timely resolution of complaints

The CFL Kharu staff delivered detailed presentations on various social security schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY). Participants were also educated about Know Your Customer (KYC) and Re-KYC procedures, along with their benefits and enrolment processes.

Awareness was further created regarding credit facilities available under schemes such as the Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), and NRLM initiatives. The importance of adopting digital banking channels for secure, convenient, and efficient financial transactions was also highlighted.

Participants were advised to remain vigilant against online fraud, phishing attempts, and unauthorised electronic transactions. They were informed about the RBI’s framework for limiting customer liability in such cases and educated on the role of customer helplines, grievance redressal mechanisms, and Ombudsman schemes in safeguarding consumer interests.

The awareness camp formed part of CFL’s ongoing efforts to promote financial literacy, financial inclusion, digital awareness, and social security schemes across villages in Ladakh. The initiative aims to ensure that rural households, farmers, and vulnerable communities are integrated into the formal financial system with confidence and security.

Crisil Foundation currently operates seven Centres for Financial Literacy (CFLs) across Leh district, covering all blocks under the aegis of the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund of the Reserve Bank of India and the Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) of NABARD. The programme is supported by the State Bank of India (SBI) and supervised by the Lead District Manager, Leh.