The banking industry has been rocked by the death of a young Bank of Baroda staffer in Ranchi, which has also sparked new worries about occupational stress in the public sector. On September 20, Mr. Ishwar Chander Jha, a 37-year-old Senior Manager (Credit) assigned to the Ranchi Region under the Bhubaneswar Zone, is said to have committed himself.
Late-Night Meeting Cited as Trigger
The union claims that on September 19, Mr. Jha and his Chief Manager were called to the Regional Office for a review meeting that lasted until ten o'clock at night. According to the group, this was blatantly against Corporate Office directives, which explicitly prohibit such gatherings outside of the 4–6 p.m. time window.
According to the union's letter, "these directives were issued specifically to prevent officers from being overburdened and to ensure a healthy work-life balance." "Yet, without fear of accountability, some Regional Heads and DRMs continue to ignore the advisory and subject officers to lengthy late-evening meetings."
This is not the first such incident in the bank. The association reminded the management that a similar tragedy occurred in Pune zone in July 2025, prompting the Corporate Office to form a committee on officers’ work-life balance.
Following that incident, specific guidelines had been circulated across zones and regions. These included:
- Meetings with branches must be confined to 4 p.m.–6 p.m.
- The number of official campaigns must be restricted to 3–4 at a time
- Misbehavior and harassment of staff were designated as “Zero Tolerance” issues
Despite these clear instructions, the union alleged, violations remain rampant, putting officers under unbearable stress.
Demand for Accountability
The AIBOBOA has demanded that responsibility be fixed in Mr. Jha’s case and that corrective steps be taken immediately.
“We earnestly request that accountability be fixed in this particular case for defiance of Corporate Office guidelines and that necessary steps be reinforced across the organization to ensure strict adherence,” wrote Prem Kumar Makker, General Secretary of the association.
As the news of Mr. Jha’s death spreads, employees across the bank are said to be under “tremendous psychological pressure,” with growing demands for reforms in workload distribution, meeting practices, and managerial accountability.
The ball is now in the bank management’s court to respond to the union’s concerns and reassure its staff.
