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Monthly Government Schemes Capsule - February 2021
Monthly Government Schemes Capsule - February 2021
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Banking Current Affairs | August 2021
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Banking Current Affairs | August 2021
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Banking Current Affairs | August 2021
The Reserve Bank of India has given IndusInd Bank permission to act as an ‘Agency
Bank.'
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has authorized IndusInd Bank to act as an "Agency Bank."
As an Agency Bank, IndusInd will be able to conduct transactions involving all types of
government-run businesses.
This decision is based on an RBI policy that designates scheduled private sector banks as
the regulator's agency banks for conducting government business.
Apart from offering its customers the convenience of conducting routine financial
transactions through its banking platform, IndusInd Bank has joined a select group of
private banks in the country that has been designated as RBI Agency Banks to carry out
general banking business on behalf of the central and state governments.
In FY22, the Centre has reduced the Mudra loan target to Rs 3 trillion.
The government has set a target of Rs 3 trillion for loan disbursement under the PM Mudra
Yojana (PMMY) for 2021-22. (FY22).
This year's goal is lower than last year's. The target for FY21 was set at Rs 3.21 trillion.
In its August 2021 MPC meeting, the RBI kept the repo rate unchanged at 4%.
In the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held between August 04 and August 06,
2021, the Reserve Bank of India decided to keep the Repo Rate unchanged.
The RBI has maintained its accommodative stance.
In 2021-22, the RBI has kept India's real GDP growth rate at 9.5 percent.
Repo Rate- 4%
Reverse Repo Rate- 3.35%
Marginal Standing Facility Rate- 4.25%
Bank Rate- 4.25%
CRR- 4%
SLR-18%
The ‘Health and Wellness Savings Account' has been launched by Suryoday Small
Finance Bank.
Suryoday Small Finance Bank (SSFB) has introduced a new product, the Suryoday Health
and Wellness Savings Account, with the dual goal of protecting customers' health and
wealth.
Customers must have an average monthly balance of Rs 3 lakh and be eligible according to
the key health declaration form in order to open a savings account.
Who qualifies: Minimum age is 18 years old, and the maximum age is 65 years old.
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Banking Current Affairs | August 2021
‘The Banker' named DBS Bank as the ‘Most Innovative in Digital Banking' in the
world.
The DBS Bank has been named ‘Most Innovative in Digital Banking' in the Financial Times
publication ‘The Banker’s Innovation in Digital Banking Awards 2021.
DBS Bank also won in the Asia-Pacific region for its Secure Access and Remote Working
Solution in the Cyber Security category.
The Banker's Innovation in Digital Banking Awards honors the most forward-thinking banks
around the world for their digital banking initiatives, strategies, and overall commitment to
digital transformation.
The RBI has increased the limit for SHG collateral-free loans to Rs 20 lakhs.
The Reserve Bank of India has increased the limit for DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya
Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission) collateral-free loans to Self-Help Groups (SHG)
from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 20 lakhs.
SHGs are able to borrow money from commercial banks. The following are the new RBI
guidelines for this type of loan to commercial banks:
No collateral and no margin will be charged for loans to SHGs up to Rs 10.00 lakh. No liens
should be placed on SHGs' savings bank accounts, and no deposits should be required when
approving loans.
For loans to SHGs of more than Rs 10 lakh but less than Rs 20 lakh, no collateral should be
required, and no lien should be placed on the SHGs' savings bank account. However, the
entire loan (regardless of the amount owed, even if it is later reduced to less than Rs 10 lakh)
would be covered by the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU).”
From October 1, the RBI will levy monetary penalties on banks if ATMs run out of
cash.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced the launch of the ‘Scheme of Penalty for
Non-Replenishment of ATMs,' under which it will penalize ATMs/WLAs that run out of cash.
From October 1, 2021, the scheme will be implemented.
The Penalty Quantum
A penalty of Rs. 10,000 per ATM will be imposed if any ATM is used for more than 10 hours in
a month.
The penalty for white label ATMs would be levied against the bank that meets the white
label ATM's cash requirements.
To avoid cash-outs and the monetary penalty, the RBI has directed all banks/White Label
ATM Operators (WLAOs) to strengthen their systems/ mechanisms for monitoring the
availability of cash in ATMs and ensuring timely replenishment.
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Banking Current Affairs | August 2021
SIDBI has launched an app-based lending platform for small businesses called
Digital Prayaas.
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched ‘Digital Prayaas,' an
app-based digital lending platform that will provide loans to low-income entrepreneurs.
By the end of the day, the loan will be approved. Aside from that, SIDBI has partnered with
BigBasket to meet the needs of aspiring urban youth. SIDBI will onboard BigBasket's delivery
partners across the country and provide loans for the purchase of environmentally friendly
e-Bikes and e-Vans at a low-interest rate.
RBL Bank has chosen Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider.
RBL Bank, based in Mumbai, has chosen Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud
provider.
RBL Bank will be able to strengthen its AI-powered banking solutions and accelerate its
digital transformation as a result of the partnership.
AWS is an Amazon.com subsidiary that offers metered pay-as-you-go cloud computing
platforms and APIs to individuals, businesses, and governments.
Noopur Chaturvedi has been named CEO of NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd by NPCI.
Noopur Chaturvedi has been named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NPCI Bharat BillPay
Ltd by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) (NBBL).
Chaturvedi will work to achieve the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) goal of scaling up the
Bharat Bill Pay System (BBPS) platform and making it the most preferred method of bill
payment.
NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd. (NBBL) is an NPCI wholly-owned subsidiary that began operations
on April 1, 2021.
The Financial Inclusion Index is introduced by the Reserve Bank of India.
The Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India as a
measure of the extent of financial inclusion in India. The FI-Index includes information on
India's banking, investment, insurance, postal, and pension sectors.
The FI-Index will have a value of 0 to 100. Where 0 represents total financial exclusion and
100 represents complete financial inclusion.
FI-Index parameters: The FI-Index is made up of three parameters: Access (35 percent),
Usage (45 percent), and Quality (20 percent), each of which has multiple dimensions that are
calculated using a variety of indicators. There are a total of 97 indicators.
For the period ending March 2021, the annual FI-Index is 53.9, while for the period ending
March 2017, it is 43.4. Every year in July, the RBI will release the FI-Index.
This Index does not have a base year.
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Banking Current Affairs | August 2021
For retail clients, HDFC has launched a ‘green and sustainable' deposit program.
HDFC Bank, India's largest private sector bank, has launched a green and sustainable
deposits program for retail customers, with the goal of preventing climate change.
These fixed-income funds will be used to fund green and sustainable housing credit solutions
and services.
Rates of Interest: 6.55 percentage point
Period of maturation: 3 to 10 years
Senior citizens will receive an additional 0.25 percent per annum interest rate on deposits up
to Rs 2 crore.
Furthermore, if these deposits are made through the bank's online platform, an additional
interest rate of 0.1 percent per annum will be applied.
India's GDP growth is expected to be 9.4% in FY22, according to Ind-Ra.
India's GDP growth rate is expected to be 9.4% in FY22, according to India Ratings (Ind-Ra).
Indi-Ra had previously estimated the rate to be between 9.1 and 9.6%.
The RBI will launch the PRISM platform to help supervised entities improve their
compliance.
The Reserve Bank of India will launch a web-based platform called "Platform for Regulated
Entities for Integrated Supervision and Monitoring (PRISM)" through which entities
supervised by the RBI can submit various compliances to the RBI.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulates and supervises a variety of entities in India. The
PRISM platform will assist RBI in implementing a "continuous supervision" approach for early
risk detection and supervisory actions.
Inspection, compliance, incident functionality for cybersecurity, complaints, and returns
functionality will all be included in PRISM, along with built-in remediation workflows, time
tracking, notifications and alerts, and management information system (MIS) reports and
dashboards.
Nitin Chugh, the MD, and CEO of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, has resigned.
Nitin Chugh, the managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO) of Ujjivan Small
Finance Bank, has announced his retirement effective September 30, 2021.
He stated that he was retiring due to personal reasons. He will also step down from the
board of directors of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank on September 30, 2021.
Indian Bank's new MD and CEO is Shanti Lal Jain.
For the next three years, Shanti Lal Jain will serve as the Managing Director and Chief
Executive Officer of Indian Bank. Ms. Padmaja Chunduru, the current MD and CEO of Indian
Bank, will be replaced by him.
Shanti Lal Jain is the Executive Director (ED) of Bank of Baroda at the moment. After
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For this app and lending arrangement, BharatPe has partnered with LenDenClub (an RBI-
approved NBFC).
Consumers can invest their savings at any time by using the "12 percent Club" app to lend
money. Consumers can also use the 12 percent Club app to get collateral-free loans of up to
Rs 10 lakh for a three-month period.
The scope of permitted devices under Tokenisation has been expanded by the RBI –
Card Transactions
In 2019, RBI allowed authorized card payment networks to provide card tokenization
services via mobile phones and tablets to any token requestor (i.e., third-party app provider).
The RBI has now broadened the scope of tokenization to include consumer devices such as
laptops, desktops, wearables (wristwatches, bands, and so on), Internet of Things (IoT)
devices, and so on.
The permission to tokenize extends to various channels [e.g., contactless transactions based
on Near Field Communication (NFC) / Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), in-app
payments, QR code-based payments, etc.] or token storage mechanisms (cloud, secure
element, trusted execution environment, etc.).
The authorized card networks are ultimately responsible for the card tokenization services
they provide.
Finance Minister unveils 4th edition of Public Sector Bank Reforms Agenda (EASE
4.0)
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, has unveiled the
fourth edition of the Public Sector Bank Reforms Agenda ‘EASE 4.0' for 2021-22.
“Technology-enabled, simplified, and collaborative banking” is the main theme of EASE 4.0.
Enhanced Access & Service Excellence (EASE) is an acronym that stands for "Enhanced
Access & Service Excellence" (EASE).
Aim: EASE 4.0 aims to advance the customer-centric digital transformation agenda by
deeply embedding digital and data into PSBs' working practices. EASE 4.0 lays out a plan to
transform all PSBs into digital-attacker banks that collaborate with other key players in the
financial services ecosystem to provide industry-leading customer service.
Key Initiatives under EASE 4.0:
o Smart Lending for Aspiring India
o New Age 24×7 banking with resilient technology
o Collaborative banking for synergistic outcomes
o Tech-enabled Ease of Banking
o Institutionalizing Prudent Banking
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Banking Current Affairs | August 2021
The government has agreed to extend the terms of PNB, BOM, and UCO Bank's MD-
CEOs.
Three managing directors and chief executive officers have had their terms extended by the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) (MDs and CEOs). These are:
o S S Mallikarjuna Rao– MD and CEO of Punjab National Bank
o A S Rajeev– MD and CEO of Bank of Maharashtra
o Atul Kumar Goel- MD and CEO of UCO Bank
Aside from that, ten executive directors (EDs) of public sector banks have had their terms
extended.
The Reserve Bank of India has increased the limit under the Indo-Nepal Remittance
Facility to Rs 2 lakh.
The Reserve Bank of India has increased the maximum amount of money that can be
transferred under the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility Scheme from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh
per transaction.
Previously, there was a 12-transaction limit per year.
This restriction has now been lifted.
The per transaction limit of Rs 50,000 will remain in place for cash-based transfers under
the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility, with a maximum number of transfers per year of 12.
The government has extended the deadline for the ‘Vivad se Vishwas' scheme until
September 30, 2021.
The government has announced a one-month extension of the payment deadline for the
Vivad Se Vishwas direct tax dispute settlement scheme until September 30, 2021.
The deadline for making payments under the scheme was extended by the Ministry of
Finance until August 31 in June.
The decision to extend the deadline was made due to the difficulties encountered in issuing
and amending Form No 3, which is required for declarant payment under the Vivad se
Vishwas Act.
The deadline has been extended for the fifth time by the Ministry of Finance.
The RBI has increased the incentive for banks to distribute coins over the counter to
Rs 65.
The Reserve Bank of India has increased the incentive it gives banks for over-the-counter
coin distribution from Rs 25 to Rs 65 per bag of coins. From September 1, 2021, this will be in
effect.
Under the "Currency Distribution & Exchange Scheme (CDES)," the RBI offers banks and
currency chests incentives to distribute coins over the counter. This is done to encourage
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coin circulation.
On submission of a CA/Auditor certificate, an additional incentive of Rs. 10/- per bag would
be paid for coin distribution in rural and semi-urban areas. (i.e. Rs 75 per bag).
PFRDA raises the age of eligibility for the National Pension System (NPS) to 70
years old.
The National Pension System (NPS) entry age has been raised from 65 to 70 years by the
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
Previously, the age limit for investing in NPS was 18-65 years, but this has now been raised to
18-70 years. Any Indian citizen, resident or non-resident, and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)
between the ages of 65 and 70 can join NPS and continue or defer their NPS account up to
the age of 75, according to the revised rules.
If a person joins the NPS after the age of 65, the Normal Exit will be three years. Exiting
before the three-year mark is considered premature.
In the event that the NPS remains open after 65 years, the amount that can be exposed to
equity is also limited. Under Auto and Active Choice, the maximum equity exposure is 15%
and 50%, respectively.
To promote and encourage contactless payments, RuPay has launched the
#FollowPaymentDistancing campaign.
To promote and encourage contactless payments among customers, RuPay has launched a
strategic campaign called #FollowPaymentDistancing.
Customers have followed several norms and measures to stay safe as a result of COVID-19,
including healthy habits, self-care routines, and social distancing.
RuPay's #FollowPaymentDistancing campaign encourages customers to begin "payment
distancing" by switching to contactless digital payments with RuPay Contactless Cards,
which are both safe and time-saving.
IDBI Bank is selling all of its 19.18 percent stake in ARCIL.
IDBI Bank's board of directors has approved the divestment of the bank's entire 19.18
percent stake in Asset Reconstruction Company (India) Limited (ARCIL).
Asset Reconstruction Company India (ARCIL) is India's first ARC, having been established in
2002. Mumbai, Maharashtra is the company's headquarters.
State Bank of India (SBI), IDBI Bank, ICICI Bank, and Punjab National Bank (PNB), as well as
other foreign investors, own ARCIL.
Rajnish Kumar, the former chairman of the State Bank of India, has been appointed
as an independent director of HSBC Asia.
On August 30, 2021, Rajnish Kumar, the former chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI), was
appointed as an independent director of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking
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