New Delhi, Oct 4 (UNI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today that if the three ‘A’s–Awareness, Accessibility and Action–are fulfilled, the money lying in safe custody can be rightfully claimed by the people with proper documents.
The Minister was speaking at the launch of a three-month (October-December 2025) Nationwide Awareness Campaign on Unclaimed Assets in the Financial Sector (Your Money, Your Right) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
“I urge you all to become ambassadors of this campaign, reach out to people you know, ask if they hold any papers of unclaimed financial assets, and guide them to register on the portal to claim what is rightfully theirs. This initiative has the potential to benefit countless citizens. I humbly request you to spread the word about this campaign in your communities and nearby areas.” Sitharaman said.
“With concerted efforts, from all–the Finance Ministry, regulators, state governments, and banks in villages–if the entire chain is activated, everyone will be able to reclaim their money. This is not only our assurance, but also our duty.” Sitharaman added.
She said “I am very grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who once advised me to go among the people and call upon them to claim what is rightfully theirs. Acting on his advice, I am glad to share that Gujarat has taken the lead in launching this campaign.”
Moreover, Secretary DFS, M Nagaraju said, “As of August 2025, more than Rs 75,000 crore of unclaimed deposits have been transferred to the RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness Fund. Unclaimed insurance proceeds stand at over Rs 13,800 crore, unclaimed balances in mutual funds to about Rs 3,000 crore and unpaid dividends worth more than Rs 9,000 crore.”
Unclaimed financial assets, including insurance policy claims, bank deposits, dividends, shares, and mutual fund proceeds, often remain unclaimed due to a lack of awareness or outdated account details.
During this campaign, citizens will be provided with on-the-spot guidance on how to search for their unclaimed assets, update records, and complete claim procedures.
Secretary, DFS, M. Nagaraju, Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India, whole-time members of IRDAI, SEBI, PFRDA, along with senior officials from the Government of India, State Government, and representatives of leading financial institutions, were also present in the event.
