Through the Reader lens — Union Finance Minister Pankaj Chaudhary told the Rajya Sabha that Indian banks collected over ₹26,000 crore in penalties from customers who failed to maintain minimum account balances between FY23 and FY26. The disclosure, made in response to parliamentary questioning, puts a concrete figure on a long-contested practice that disproportionately affects low-income and rural depositors. Separately, the Reserve Bank of India's recent measures to encourage NRI deposits have drawn $36.7 billion in foreign currency inflows into the banking system, signaling improved external confidence. The penalty data has drawn criticism from consumer advocates who argue banks should offer more flexible account structures rather than relying on punitive fee income. Watch for whether the RBI or the Finance Ministry moves to cap or standardize minimum balance rules, and whether banks adjust their pricing models in response to parliamentary and public scrutiny.