In Brief:
- The Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha.
- Replaces a 135-year-old law to adapt to digital banking.
- Expands "bankers' books" to cover electronic, digital, and cloud records.
- Standardizes certification so certified digital records are admissible in court.
- Authorizes the Central Government to add certification conditions and extend coverage.
The government introduced the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha to replace the 135-year-old Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891. Designed to modernize the legal framework for contemporary digital banking practices, the new legislation expands the definition of "bankers' books" beyond physical records to include electronic, digital, cloud-based, and virtual records.
The bill standardizes the certification process for submitting bank records as admissible evidence in court without requiring original physical files, while empowering the Central Government to prescribe further certification conditions and extend the law to other banking entities.
