RBI Circulars, Decoded in Plain Language
Stop reading 20-page PDFs. Get plain-language breakdowns of RBI, SEBI & IRDAI circulars — with action items, clause analysis, and compliance checklists built for banking professionals.
7 high-impact circulars require immediate attention
414+
Circulars Decoded
3 Free
Views Per Month
RBI · SEBI · IRDAI
Regulators Covered
Recently Decoded
414 circulars decoded and available
RBI/2026-27/288
Reserve Bank of India (Payments Banks – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy) Third Amendment Directions, 2026
This circular introduces the Third Amendment Directions, 2026, to the capital adequacy norms for Payments Banks. It specifically replaces a sub-paragraph in the 2025 Directions, mandating a 2% risk weight for a bank's trade exposure to a Qualified Central Counterparty (QCCP) when acting as a clearing member. This applies to OTC derivatives, exchange-traded derivatives, and Securities Financing Transactions (SFTs), covering both own-purpose clearing and obligations for client losses. The amendment aims to align with international standards and requires immediate action from affected Payments Banks to review their risk management and capital computation frameworks.
RBI/2026-27/289
Reserve Bank of India (All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs) – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy) Fifth Amendment Directions, 2026
The Reserve Bank of India has issued the Fifth Amendment Directions, 2026, revising prudential norms on capital adequacy for All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs). This amendment, effective immediately, aligns the directions with international standards, specifically concerning AIFIs' exposures to Qualified Central Counterparties (QCCPs). A 2% risk weight will now apply to AIFIs' trade exposures to QCCPs for OTC and exchange-traded derivatives, and SFTs, covering both proprietary transactions and client clearing services where the AIFI is obligated to reimburse client losses. This ensures AIFIs maintain adequate capital for these specific exposures, bolstering financial stability.
RBI/2026-27/287
Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy) Sixth Amendment Directions, 2026
This circular, the Sixth Amendment to the SFB Capital Adequacy Directions, amends the prudential norms for Small Finance Banks acting as clearing members. It mandates a 2% risk weight on SFBs' trade exposure to Qualified Central Counterparties (QCCPs) for OTC and exchange-traded derivatives, and Securities Financing Transactions (SFTs). This new risk weight also applies to client exposures where the SFB is obligated to reimburse clients in case of a QCCP default. The amendment aims to align domestic regulations with international standards, effective immediately.
RBI/2026-27/286
Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy) Twelfth Amendment Directions, 2026
The Reserve Bank of India has issued the Twelfth Amendment Directions, 2026, updating capital adequacy norms for Commercial Banks. These amendments primarily refine the risk weighting for banks acting as clearing members of Qualified Central Counterparties (QCCPs) and revise the treatment of incurred Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) losses for Exposure at Default (EAD) calculations. Aimed at aligning with international standards, these directions also simplify certain CVA-related paragraphs. Commercial banks are required to immediately update their capital calculation methodologies and internal policies to reflect these changes.
RBI/2026-27/285
Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Miscellaneous) Amendment Directions, 2026
The Reserve Bank of India has issued amendment directions for commercial banks, primarily deleting Sub-section D of Chapter IV (Paragraph 38) of the Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks - Miscellaneous) Directions, 2025. This section previously dealt with the deferment of option premium. These changes, consequent to a review and issuance of related forthcoming instructions, will come into effect from April 1, 2027, requiring commercial banks to adjust their practices accordingly.
RBI/2026-27/283
Penal Interest on shortfall in CRR and SLR requirements - Change in Bank Rate
The Reserve Bank of India has revised the Bank Rate upwards by 25 basis points from 5.50% to 5.75% with immediate effect, following an announcement in the Monetary Policy Statement, 2026-27. Consequently, the penal interest rates applicable on shortfalls in Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) requirements, which are explicitly linked to the Bank Rate, have also increased. This adjustment means banks facing CRR/SLR shortfalls will now incur higher penalties, necessitating stricter adherence to reserve requirements.
RBI/2026-2027/282
Liquidity Adjustment Facility - Change in rates
The RBI has increased the policy repo rate under LAF by 25 basis points to 5.50% effective immediately, as announced in the October 2026 Monetary Policy Statement. The standing deposit facility (SDF) rate has been adjusted to 5.25% and marginal standing facility (MSF) rate to 5.75%, also effective immediately. All other LAF terms remain unchanged. This reflects the Monetary Policy Committee's tightening stance.
RBI/2026-2027/281
Standing Liquidity Facility for Primary Dealers
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the policy repo rate by 25 basis points from 5.25% to 5.50%, effective immediately, following the latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announcement. Consequently, the Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) provided to Primary Dealers (PDs) will now be available at this revised rate of 5.50%. This adjustment directly impacts the cost of collateralized liquidity support for all Primary Dealers, necessitating immediate operational and strategic reassessments of their funding costs and liquidity management strategies.
RBI/2026-27/274
Consolidation/ Review of instructions issued on currency management matters – Withdrawal of Circulars/ Guidelines
The Reserve Bank of India has undertaken a major rationalization exercise in currency management, consolidating numerous extant instructions into function-wise Master Directions and subject-specific guidelines. Consequently, 149 circulars and guidelines, some dating back to 1976, have been officially withdrawn as they are now either superseded by new Master Directions or deemed obsolete/redundant. All banks are advised to refer to the consolidated instructions for current regulatory requirements.
RBI/2026-27/272
Master Circular - Credit Facilities to Scheduled Castes (SCs) & Scheduled Tribes (STs)
This Master Circular, issued by the RBI, consolidates all existing guidelines on providing credit facilities to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). It mandates all Scheduled Commercial Banks (including Small Finance Banks) to simplify lending procedures, enhance awareness, and ensure timely and adequate credit flow to these communities. Key instructions include integrating SC/ST credit needs into district credit plans, prohibiting upfront deposit insistence, ensuring prompt subsidy release, and establishing robust monitoring mechanisms at the Head Office and SLBC levels. The circular reiterates provisions under the DAY-NRLM, Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) Scheme, and the Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes (CEGSSC) to promote financial inclusion and entrepreneurship.
RBI/2026-2027/273
Cassette - Swaps in ATMs
This RBI circular partially modifies a previous directive regarding the monitoring of cassette swap implementation in ATMs. Effective immediately from October 1, 2026, banks are now permitted to delegate this monitoring responsibility from their Board of Directors to a Committee of Executives. This change aims to streamline operational oversight and allow the Board to focus on more strategic governance matters, aligning with recent amendments to bank governance directions.
RBI/2026-27/280 / A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 24
Non-Resident Deposits - Comprehensive Single Return (NRD-CSR)(R012): Submission under CIMS Sankalan Portal
Authorised Dealer banks maintaining Non-Resident Deposit (NRD) accounts must now submit the Comprehensive Single Return (NRD-CSR) through the RBI's new Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) Sankalan portal. This transition replaces the previous XBRL platform and supersedes the earlier A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 19 dated August 07, 2013. The new NRD-CSR return, identified as R012, features rationalized formats and offers multiple submission channels. Banks' internal administrators are now responsible for managing user access on the CIMS portal, and monthly submissions are due by the 10th of the following month.
FREE TO START
Get 3 free circulars every month
Create a free account to read the full breakdown — BLUF, what changed, who's affected, and action items.
Create Free Account →Everything in one place
Built for compliance officers, bankers, and finance professionals who can't afford to miss a circular.
Bottom Line Up Front
Every circular distilled to a single plain-language summary — no regulatory jargon.
What Changed
Bullet-point breakdown of exactly what's new, amended, or withdrawn.
Who Is Affected
Know immediately whether your entity type needs to act.
Action Items
Concrete steps your compliance team needs to take, prioritised by urgency.
Clause Breakdown
Plain-language interpretation of every clause, in plain English.
Old vs New
Side-by-side comparison of what the old rule said vs what it says now.
BANKOPEDIA PRO
Unlimited access, starting at ₹199/month
Clause breakdown · Old vs new · Compliance checklist · Expert analysis · PDF export
Annual
≈ ₹167/month · Billed once yearly.
- Everything in Monthly
- Priority Digest email
- Credit Desk tools
- Cross-device history
Monthly
Billed monthly. Cancel any time.
- All Pro features
- Ad-free reading
- Circular Decoder
- Compliance Radar
- Bookmarks
Payments via Razorpay · UPI, cards, net banking · GST applicable