**Executive Summary**
The document is the Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Amendment Directions, 2025, issued on December 11, 2025. It modifies the existing directions concerning the maintenance of Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) for Small Finance Banks. The changes primarily relate to the definition of 'Fortnight' and its impact on reporting requirements, effective from December 15, 2025, with one exception effective from December 12, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment Details:**
* The definition of 'Fortnight' is amended 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”. Enactment date is December 15, 2025.
* The words 'Friday' shall be substituted with 'day' in specified paragraphs.
* The words 'each alternate Friday and' are substituted with 'last day of each fortnight', 'seven' substituted with 'five', and 'provisional' is deleted in paragraph 31.
* References to 'reporting Friday' and 'that Friday' are replaced with 'last day of each fortnight' in paragraph 32.
* The words ‘final' and 'within 20 days from expiry of the relevant fortnight' shall be deleted in paragraph 33.
* Paragraph 35 is deleted.
* References to 'alternate Fridays' shall be substituted with 'last day of each fortnight' and 'such Fridays' / 'such Friday' shall be substituted with 'such day' in paragraph 39.
* References to the word ‘Friday' / ‘that Friday' shall be substituted with 'last day of the fortnight' / 'last day of that fortnight' in Annex 1 (Form A).
* The word ‘State Development Loans (SDLs) of the' shall be substituted with 'State Government Securities of the respective' in paragraph 28(3)(iii).
* **Reporting Requirements:**
* Banks must submit a single Form A return; Provisional, Final, and Special Form A returns are discontinued.
* New versions of Form A and Form VIII are available on the CIMS portal with new return codes.
* Banks must submit fortnightly Form A return beginning December 15, 2025, and monthly Form VIII return from December 2025 via the CIMS portal.
* Hard copy submissions are no longer required; all returns must be submitted electronically via CIMS using digital signatures of two authorized officials, ensuring compliance with IT laws.
* **Transitional Provisions:**
* For the fortnight of December 16-31, 2025, and January 1-15, 2026, CRR and SLR maintenance should be based on Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL) as of November 28, 2025, and December 15, 2025, respectively.
* From January 16, 2026, CRR and SLR maintenance shall be based on the NDTL as on the last day of the second preceding fortnight.
* During the three-day transition period of December 13-15, 2025, CRR and SLR maintenance should be based on NDTL as of November 28, 2025.
* Banks must maintain a minimum CRR of not less than 100% of the required CRR during this transition period.
* Form A return for December 12, 2025, should be submitted per the extant reporting structure.
* Form VIII return of December 2025 is to be submitted on the CIMS portal using both old and new return codes.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Small Finance Banks (SFBs)**
* **Impact**: SFBs must adjust their CRR and SLR maintenance and reporting practices to comply with the amended definition of 'Fortnight' and the new reporting structure. The effective dates for these changes are primarily December 15, 2025, with an exception effective from December 12, 2025.
* **Action Required**: SFBs must update their systems and processes to reflect the redefined 'Fortnight', submit returns electronically via CIMS, and ensure compliance with all requirements by the specified deadlines. They must use the CIMS portal and digital signatures for authorized officials when submitting returns.
Key Entities Referenced
Reserve Bank of India: The primary subject and issuing authority of the directions.
Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025: A key law that necessitates amendments to existing regulations.
Banking Regulation Act, 1949: An act amended and referenced.
Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934: An act amended and referenced.
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): The regulatory requirement being addressed.
Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): The regulatory requirement being addressed.
भारतीय ररज़र्व बैंक
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
RBI/2025-26/149
DOR.RET.REC.355/12.01.001/2025-26 December 11, 2025
Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and
Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Amendment Directions, 2025
Please refer to Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance 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, 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
A and Form VIII 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 (Small Finance 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) (2), which shall be effective from December 12, 2025.
7. These Amendment Directions modify the Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance
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, 21, 23, 24, 25 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 35 shall be deleted.
(vii) A paragraph 38 shall be substituted with following paragraph:
“Under the new reporting structure, as amended vide Banking Laws
(Amendment) Act 2025, there shall be no Provisional or Final or Special Form
A return. The banks are required to submit single Form A return. The new
versions of Form A and Form VIII returns are available on the Centralised
Information Management System (CIMS) portal with new return codes. The
banks are required to submit fortnightly Form A return from December 15,
22025 and monthly Form VIII return from December 2025 on the CIMS portal.
Form A and Form VIII are not to be submitted in hard copy / paper returns by
the banks. The banks have to submit these returns in electronic form on CIMS
portal using digital signatures of two authorised officials. While submitting
these returns, banks have to ensure that the same is compliant with the
prevalent IT laws of the country.”
(viii) Two new paragraphs shall be inserted after paragraph 38, namely:
1. “38 A. 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”.
2. “38 B. 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 A return for
December 12, 2025, as per the extant reporting structure. Further, the
banks are advised to submit Form VIII return of December 2025 on
CIMS portal, both with old and new return codes.”
(ix) In paragraph 39, the words 'alternate Fridays' shall be substituted with ‘last
day of each fortnight' and 'such Fridays' / 'such Friday' shall be substituted
with ‘such day'.
(x) In Annex I (Form A), the word ‘Friday’ / ‘that Friday’ shall be substituted with
‘last day of the fortnight’ / ‘last day of that fortnight’.
(xi) In Annex II (Form VIII),
3• 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’.
• the word ‘Friday’ shall be substituted with ‘day’ / ‘last day of the fortnight’
(xii) In paragraph 28(3)(iii), the word ‘State Development Loans (SDLs) of the’
shall be substituted with ‘State Government Securities of the respective’.
Yours faithfully,
(Manoranjan Padhy)
Chief General Manager
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