Context:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 29th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) in Mumbai on June 11, 2025, where she emphasized reducing unclaimed assets and ensuring seamless refund to rightful owners. The meeting also reviewed macro-financial stability, regulatory reforms, and investment strategies.
Key Highlights:
Focus on Unclaimed Assets
- FM urged regulators to reduce unclaimed financial assets, including:
- Bank deposits
- Unclaimed dividends and shares
- Post office savings
- Insurance and pension funds
- Directed district-level special camps to facilitate refunds in coordination with:
- RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, banks, and other financial institutions.
What is Unclaimed Assets?
Unclaimed assets refer to financial assets (money, shares, mutual funds, etc.) that have been left unclaimed or inactive by their owner for an extended period. These assets can become unclaimed due to various reasons, including death of the account holder, a change of address, or simply forgetting about them.
- Examples:
- Unclaimed assets can include forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, dormant stocks, and other financial assets.
- Reasons for Unclaimed Assets:
- Death of the account holder.
- Change of address without updating financial institutions.
- Lack of awareness about the assets.
- Incomplete documentation.
- Government Involvement:
- After a specified period, unclaimed assets are typically turned over to the government or state treasury.
- Claiming the Assets:
- The rightful owner or beneficiary can file a claim to retrieve the unclaimed assets.
- Digitalization and Unclaimed Assets:
- There are ongoing efforts to improve the process of identifying and retrieving unclaimed assets, including through digital platforms like Digilocker.