📄 Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-2006/425
Quick answerRBI removed the 3% statutory minimum CRR floor for StCBs and RRBs, allowing flexible CRR setting. The CRR rate remains at 5% of demand and time liabilities, with exemptions for interbank liabilities and CBLO transactions with CCIL.
What changed
The statutory minimum CRR of 3% on total demand and time liabilities for StCBs and RRBs was eliminated effective June 22, 2006, following the RBI (Amendment) Act 2006. RBI now has the power to set CRR without any floor or ceiling. The CRR rate stays at 5%, and exemptions for interbank liabilities and CBLO transactions continue.
What it means for you
StCBs and RRBs no longer have a guaranteed low CRR floor, giving RBI full flexibility to adjust CRR for monetary policy. The current 5% CRR and exemptions remain unchanged, so no immediate liquidity impact. Banks must monitor future CRR changes as RBI can now raise or lower rates without legislative constraint.
The rule, in the simplest words
Scheduled State Co-operative Banks (StCBs) and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) no longer have a 3% statutory minimum Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) floor.
The CRR rate remains at 5% of demand and time liabilities for StCBs and RRBs.
Interbank liabilities and Collateralized Borrowing and Lending Obligation (CBLO) transactions with Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL) are exempt from CRR requirements.
How it plays out — a real example
A gold-loan officer in Indore, working at a Regional Rural Bank, is relieved to know that the RBI has removed the 3% CRR floor, giving the bank more flexibility in managing its cash reserves. This change allows the bank to focus on providing more loans to customers, supporting the local economy. The officer updates the bank's internal systems to reflect the change and ensures that the CRR is calculated correctly, taking into account the exemptions for interbank liabilities and CBLO transactions.
What you must do
Continue maintaining CRR at 5% of net demand and time liabilities as before.
Ensure exemptions for interbank liabilities and CBLO transactions are correctly applied in CRR computation.
Update internal CRR calculation systems to reflect removal of the 3% statutory minimum floor.
Stay alert for future RBI circulars that may revise CRR rates or exemption categories.
Who it affects
Scheduled State Co-operative Banks (StCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Treasury and compliance teams at StCBs and RRBs
Regulatory timeline
Stated effective dateeffective June 22, 2006
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 18:24 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
Does this circular change the current CRR rate for StCBs and RRBs?
No, the CRR rate remains at 5% of demand and time liabilities. Only the statutory minimum floor of 3% has been removed, giving RBI flexibility to change rates in the future.
Which liabilities are exempt from CRR under this circular?
Liabilities to the banking system in India (as defined under Section 42 of the RBI Act) and transactions in CBLO with CCIL are exempt from the 5% CRR requirement.
When did these changes take effect?
The amendments and exemptions came into force on June 22, 2006, the date of the circular and notification.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2005-2006/425
RPCD.RF.BC. 94/07.02.01/2005-2006
June 22, 2006
All Scheduled State Co-operative Banks (StCBs)
and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)
Dear Sir,
Maintenance of CRR on Exempted Categories
Please refer to our Circulars RPCD.No.RF.BC
49/07.02.05/2001-02 dated December 31, 2001 (addressed to all Scheduled State
Co-operative Banks), RPCD.No.RF.BC 50/07.02.05/2001-02 dated December 31, 2001
(addressed to all Regional Rural Banks) and RPCD.CO.RF.BC.53/07.02.01/2005-06
dated December 8, 2005 on the above subject.
2. In terms of the instructions contained therein,
every Scheduled State Co-operative Bank /Regional Rural Bank is exempted from
maintaining average CRR on the following liabilities, subject to the maintenance
of statutory minimum CRR of 3 per cent on its total demand and time liabilities
as computed under section 42(1) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934:
(i) Liabilities to the banking system in
India as computed under Clause (d) (in case of Regional Rural Banks) and clause
(e) (in case of Scheduled State Co-operative Banks) of the Explanation to Section
42(1) of the RBI Act, 1934; and
(ii) Transactions in Collateralized Borrowing
and Lending Obligation (CBLO) with Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL).
3. A reference is invited to our circular RPCD.RF.BC.
93/07.02.01/2005-2006 dated June 22, 2006 regarding enactment of the Reserve
Bank of India (Amendment) Bill 2006 and its coming into force with effect from
June 22, 2006. Consequent upon the amendment to sub-section (1) of Section 42
of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the statutory minimum CRR requirement
of 3 percent of total demand and time liabilities no longer exists.
4. Further, consequent upon the amendment to
sub-section (1) of Section 42 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the Reserve
Bank having regard to the needs of securing monetary stability in the country,
can prescribe the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) for scheduled banks without any floor
rate or ceiling rate. Accordingly, Reserve Bank of India has decided to continue
with the status quo on the rate of CRR required to be maintained by Scheduled
State Co-operative Banks and Regional Rural Banks at 5 per cent of their demand
and time liabilities, in terms of our circular RPCD.RF.BC.93/07.02.01/2005-2006
dated June 22, 2006. It has also been decided to exempt the liabilities referred
to at paragraph 2 (i) and (ii) on the previous page from the above CRR requirement
of 5 per cent of the demand and time liabilities of Scheduled State Co-operative
Banks and Regional Rural Banks.
5. A copy of the relative notification RPCD.RF.No.6107
/07.02.01/2005-2006 dated June 22, 2006 is enclosed.
6. Please acknowledge receipt to our Regional Office concerned.
Yours faithfully,
(K.Bhattacharya)
General Manager
RPCD.RF.No.6107/07.02.01/2005-2006 June 22, 2006
NOTIFICATION
Consequent upon the amendment to sub-section
(1) of Section 42 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934), the statutory
minimum Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) requirement of 3 per cent of the total demand
and time liabilities in respect of Scheduled State Co-operative Banks and Regional
Rural Banks no longer exists with effect from June 22, 2006. Further, consequent
upon the amendment to sub-section (1) of Section 42 of the Reserve Bank of India
Act, 1934, the Reserve Bank having regard to the needs of securing monetary
stability in the country, can prescribe the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) for scheduled
banks without any floor rate or ceiling rate. In terms of these powers, Reserve
Bank of India has decided to continue with the status quo on the rate of CRR
required to be maintained by Scheduled State Co-operative Banks and Regional
Rural Banks at 5 per cent of their demand and time liabilities. In exercise
of the powers conferred by sub-section (7) of Section 42 of the Reserve Bank
of India Act, 1934, the Reserve Bank of India hereby exempts every Scheduled
State Co-operative Bank / Regional Rural Bank from the maintenance of CRR at
5 per cent on the following liabilities with effect from June 22, 2006:
(i) Liabilities to the banking system in
India as computed under Clause (d) (in case of Regional Rural Bank) and (e)
(in case of Scheduled State Co-operative Bank) of the Explanation to sub-section
(1) of Section 42 of the RBI Act, 1934; and
(ii) Transactions in Collateralized Borrowing
and Lending Obligation (CBLO) with Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL).
(V.S.Das)
Executive Director
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-2006/425 · issued 22 Jun 2006. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Test yourself
Quick self-check built only from the facts already on this page — tap a question to reveal the answer.
Q1. In one line, what does this circular do?
RBI removed the 3% statutory minimum CRR floor for StCBs and RRBs, allowing flexible CRR setting. The CRR rate remains at 5% of demand and time liabilities, with exemptions for interbank liabilities and CBLO transactions with CCIL.
Q2. Who does this circular apply to?
Scheduled State Co-operative Banks (StCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Treasury and compliance teams at StCBs and RRBs
Q3. What is the first thing you should do about it?
Continue maintaining CRR at 5% of net demand and time liabilities as before.
Update internal CRR calculation systems to reflect removal of the 3% statutory minimum floor.
📜 Compliance
Continue maintaining CRR at 5% of net demand and time liabilities as before.
Ensure exemptions for interbank liabilities and CBLO transactions are correctly applied in CRR computation.
Update internal CRR calculation systems to reflect removal of the 3% statutory minimum floor.
Stay alert for future RBI circulars that may revise CRR rates or exemption categories.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (Scheduled State Co-operative Banks (StCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Treasury and compliance teams at StCBs and RRBs), your first concrete step on “CRR Exemption for StCBs and RRBs on Select Liabilities” is: “Continue maintaining CRR at 5% of net demand and time liabilities as before.” (RBI issued this 22 Jun 2006).
Circular: RBI/2005-2006/425 -- CRR Exemption for StCBs and RRBs on Select Liabilities
Issued: 22 Jun 2006
Action required: Continue maintaining CRR at 5% of net demand and time liabilities as before.
Action required: Ensure exemptions for interbank liabilities and CBLO transactions are correctly applied in CRR computation.
Action required: Update internal CRR calculation systems to reflect removal of the 3% statutory minimum floor.
Action required: Stay alert for future RBI circulars that may revise CRR rates or exemption categories.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
AI-drafted · 1-model AI consensus fact-check · under the editorial review of our expert review panel · decoded & published by BankPulse · 21 Jun 2026, 06:18 IST
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=2922&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert review panel. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; never reproduces RBI text verbatim.
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