**Executive Summary**
This document outlines Amendment Directions, issued December 11, 2025, by the Reserve Bank of India concerning Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) for Rural Co-operative Banks. These directions are in response to the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 and will primarily come into effect from December 15, 2025. The amendment revises the definition of a 'fortnight' and modifies reporting requirements.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment Scope and Effective Dates:**
* The directions are called the "Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks - Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Amendment Directions, 2025."
* Most provisions are effective from December 15, 2025, except for paragraph 7 (viii) (3), which is effective from December 12, 2025.
* The Amendment Directions modify the "Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Directions, 2025."
* **Definition of 'Fortnight':**
* The definition of 'Fortnight' is redefined as "the period from the first day to the fifteenth day of each calendar month or sixteenth day to the last day of each calendar month, both days inclusive."
* The enactment date for the amended definition of fortnight is December 15, 2025.
* **CRR and SLR Maintenance and Reporting:**
* CRR and SLR maintenance and reporting in Form B and Form I, respectively, are revised to align with the amended definition of the fortnight.
* For the fortnight of December 16-31, 2025, and the first fortnight of January 2026, CRR and SLR maintenance should be based on the Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL) as on November 28, 2025, and December 15, 2025, respectively.
* From January 16, 2026, CRR and SLR maintenance will be based on the NDTL of the last day of the second preceding fortnight.
* **Reporting Changes:**
* Banks must submit single Form B returns.
* New versions of Form B and Form I are available on the CIMS portal with new return codes.
* Banks must submit fortnightly Form B returns from December 15, 2025, and monthly Form I returns from December 2025 on the CIMS portal.
* Under the new reporting structure, as amended vide Banking Laws (Amendment) Act 2025, there shall be no Provisional or Final or Special Form B return.
* **Transitional Provisions:**
* During December 13-15, 2025, CRR and SLR maintenance should be based on the NDTL as of November 28, 2025.
* During this transition, banks must maintain minimum CRR of 100% of the required CRR.
* Banks must submit Form B for December 12, 2025, per the existing reporting structure.
* **Editorial Changes:**
* In multiple paragraphs, "Friday" is replaced with "day" or "last day of each fortnight."
* The word "provisional" is deleted from paragraph 31.
**Impact Analysis**
**Rural Co-operative Banks**
* **Impact:**
* Banks need to align their systems and processes with the new definition of 'fortnight' for CRR and SLR maintenance.
* Changes in the reporting frequency and the transition to the CIMS portal will require system updates.
* **Action Required:**
* Update systems to reflect the new 'fortnight' definition by December 15, 2025.
* Submit revised Form B and Form I returns via the CIMS portal as specified.
* Ensure compliance with transitional CRR and SLR maintenance requirements.
Key Entities Referenced
Reserve Bank of India: India's central bank, the primary regulator mentioned in the document.
Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025: Act amending various banking regulations, impacting the definitions and reporting requirements related to CRR and SLR.
Banking Regulation Act, 1949: A foundational banking act that this document amends, specifically regarding the powers conferred to the Reserve Bank of India.
Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Directions, 2025: The specific policy being amended by this document, concerning CRR and SLR requirements for rural cooperative banks.
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): The fraction of deposits banks are required to keep with the Central Bank.
Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): The minimum percentage of deposits a commercial bank has to maintain in the form of liquid assets.
भारतीय ररज़र्व बैंक
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
RBI/2025-26/154
DOR.RET.REC.360/12.01.001/2025-26 December 11, 2025
Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and
Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Amendment Directions, 2025
Please refer to Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Cash Reserve
Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Directions, 2025 dated November 28, 2025.
2. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 has amended various provisions,
including the section 42 of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and the sections 18 and
24 of Banking Regulation Act 1949 [(read with section 56 (AACS)], relating to
maintenance of Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR).
3. Pursuant to the enactment of the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025, the
definition of ‘Fortnight’ has been amended from “the period from Saturday to the
second following Friday, both days inclusive” to “the period from the first day to the
fifteenth day of each calendar month or sixteenth day to the last day of each calendar
month, both days inclusive”. As notified in the Gazette of India dated December 08,
2025, the enactment date of the stated definition of fortnight is December 15, 2025.
Consequently, the CRR and SLR maintenance and reporting in their returns i.e., Form
B and Form I respectively, also stand revised to align with the amended definition of
the fortnight.
4. Accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 35A of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949 and pursuant to Section 42 of the Reserve Bank of India Act,
1934 and Sections 18 and 24 of Banking Regulation Act, 1949, as amended from time
to time, and all other provisions / laws enabling the Reserve Bank of India in this
regard, the Reserve Bank being satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in the
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
विवियमि विभाग, केंद्रीय कायाालय, 12िी ींऔर 13िी ींमींव़िल, िरीमि भिि, िरीमि पॉइींट, म ींबई 400021
Department of Regulation, Central Office, 12th & 13th Floor, Nariman Bhavan, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021
बैंक व ींदी में पत्राचार का स्वागत करता ै
Caution: RBI never sends mails, SMSs or makes calls asking for personal information like bank account details, passwords,
etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. Please do not respond in any manner to such offers.public interest so to do, hereby, issues the Amendment Directions hereinafter
specified.
5. These Directions shall be called the Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative
Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Amendment Directions,
2025.
6. The provisions shall come into effect from December 15, 2025, except paragraph 7
(viii) (3), which shall be effective from December 12, 2025.
7. These Amendment Directions modify the Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative
Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Directions, 2025 as under:
(i) In paragraph 6 (14), the definition of ‘Fortnight’ shall be redefined as
‘Fortnight’ means the period from the first day to the fifteenth day of each
calendar month or sixteenth day to the last day of each calendar month, both
days inclusive.
(ii) In paragraphs 6 (18), 9, 10, 22, 24, 25, 26 the words ‘Friday' shall be
substituted with ‘day'.
(iii) In paragraph 31, the words ‘each alternate Friday and’ shall be substituted
with ‘last day of each fortnight’, the word 'seven' shall be substituted with 'five'
and the word 'provisional' shall be deleted.
(iv) In paragraph 32, the words 'reporting Friday' shall be substituted with ‘last day
of each fortnight’ and the words ‘that Friday' shall be substituted with ‘last day
of such fortnight’.
(v) In paragraph 33, the words ‘final’ and 'within 20 days from expiry of the
relevant fortnight' shall be deleted.
(vi) The paragraph 34 shall be deleted.
(vii) In paragraph 35, the words 'each alternate Fridays' / ‘alternate Friday’ / ‘that
Friday’ shall be substituted with ‘last day of each fortnight' / ‘day’ / ‘last day of
that fortnight’
(viii) Three new paragraphs shall be inserted after paragraph 37, namely:
1. “37 A. Under the new reporting structure, as amended vide Banking
Laws (Amendment) Act 2025, there shall be no Provisional or Final or
2Special Form B return. The banks are required to submit single Form
B return. The new versions of Form B and Form I returns are available
on the Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) portal with
new return codes. The banks are required to submit fortnightly Form B
return from December 15, 2025 and monthly Form I return from
December 2025 on the CIMS portal.”
2. “37 B. The maintenance of CRR and SLR during the fortnight
December 16-31, 2025 and the first fortnight of January 2026 (i.e.,
January 1-15, 2026) is to be done by the banks, based on the Net
Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL) as on November 28, 2025 and
December 15, 2025, respectively. From the subsequent fortnights
starting from January 16, 2026, the maintenance shall be done, as
presently applicable, i.e., based on the NDTL as on the last day of the
second preceding fortnight”.
3. “37 C. During the transition period of three days i.e., December 13-15,
2025, the maintenance of CRR and SLR is to be done by the banks,
based on the Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL) as on
November 28, 2025. Further, the banks shall maintain minimum CRR
of not less than hundred per cent of the required CRR during the
transition period.The banks shall also submit Form B return for
December 12, 2025, as per the extant reporting structure. Further, the
banks are advised to submit Form I return of December 2025 on CIMS
portal, both with old and new return codes.”
(ix) In paragraph 38, the words 'each alternate Friday' shall be substituted with
‘last day of each fortnight'.
(x) In Annex I (Form B), the word ‘Friday’ / ‘that Friday’ shall be substituted with
‘last day of the fortnight’ / ‘last day of that fortnight’.
(xi) In Annex II (Form I),
• the ‘First alternate Friday’, ‘Second alternate Friday’, ‘Third alternate
Friday’ shall be substituted with ‘15th day of the Month’ and ‘Last day of
the Month’.
3• the word ‘Friday’ / ‘an alternate Friday’ shall be substituted with ‘day’ / ‘last
day of the fortnight’
• in appendix III to Form I, the word ‘Friday’ in the title shall be deleted.
(xii) In Annex III, the word ‘Friday’ shall be substituted with ‘day’.
Yours faithfully,
(Manoranjan Padhy)
Chief General Manager
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