The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre and other relevant authorities on Friday regarding a plea to establish guidelines for alternative methods of conducting Digital KYC for acid attack survivors with permanent eye disfigurement or burns. The court acknowledged the importance of the issue.
The bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, stated that the matter would be addressed in July.
The plea, filed by nine acid attack survivors including Pragya Prasun, requests that authorities develop guidelines to ensure the Digital KYC process is accessible and inclusive for all disabled individuals, particularly those with eye disfigurements from acid attacks.
The petitioners highlighted the numerous challenges they face in accessing basic financial and telecommunication services due to their inability to complete the Digital KYC process, which often requires blinking.
“The following accessibility barriers were faced by the Petitioners herein due to their inability to blink and as such complete their Digital KYC/e-KYC process while attempting to avail basic goods and services which are essential to lead a life with dignity, autonomy and equality, and participate in day-to-day life,” the petition stated.
The petition also called for public and private establishments conducting Digital KYC to implement the proposed guidelines and develop organizational policies that provide alternative methods for acid attack survivors to complete their Digital KYC process.
Additionally, the petition sought a directive for the Central Government to clarify the “live photograph” requirement in the RBI – KYC Master Directions, 2016. It suggested that this requirement should include alternative criteria such as facial feature movements or voice recognition.
The petition also requested the RBI to amend or create suitable alternatives for the “live photo” requirement to enable acid attack survivors and similarly affected individuals to complete the KYC process independently.
Furthermore, the petition urged the RBI, SEBI, and TRAI to instruct all regulated public and private organizations, including banks and financial institutions, to adopt offline or physical KYC procedures for acid attack survivors. It also called for these organizations to be sensitized to actively assist these individuals in accessing banking, telecommunication, and other financial services.
