HomeCirculars › RBI/2004-05/410

Revised norms for accrued interest on UCB advances

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2004-05/410 · issued 30 Mar 2005 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI has simplified accounting for accrued interest on performing advances of Urban Co-operative Banks. Banks can now directly debit interest to borrower accounts and credit income without needing to reverse unrealized interest at year-end. However, if an advance turns NPA, prior-year accrued interest must be reversed or provided for if not realised.

What changed

The earlier requirement to reverse unrealized accrued interest on performing advances at year-end via profit and loss and credit to Overdue Interest Reserve Account has been removed. Now, banks can simply debit the borrower account and credit interest income. A new sub-paragraph mandates reversal or provisioning of interest credited in the previous year if the advance becomes NPA in the current year.

What it means for you

This change reduces year-end accounting adjustments for UCBs on performing assets, simplifying income recognition. However, it tightens the rule for NPA transitions: any interest income booked in the prior year on an account that turns NPA must be reversed or provided for, including government-guaranteed accounts. Banks need to update their accounting systems and ensure robust tracking of asset classification changes.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, UCB accounting and finance departments, UCB credit and risk management teams, RBI regional offices monitoring UCBs

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

Does this circular change the treatment of interest on NPA accounts?

No, the treatment for non-performing advances remains unchanged: accrued interest is debited to Interest Receivable Account and credited to Overdue Interest Reserve Account. The circular only modifies the procedure for performing advances and adds a new rule for reversal when an account becomes NPA.

Are government-guaranteed advances exempt from the NPA reversal rule?

No, the circular explicitly states that the reversal or provisioning requirement for interest credited in the prior year when an advance becomes NPA will apply to government-guaranteed accounts as well.

When does this circular take effect?

The circular is dated March 30, 2005, and advises immediate amendment to the earlier instructions. Banks should apply the revised procedure from the date of receipt.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #2849: UBD(PCB).Cir.42/09.140.00/2004-05 — "Prudential Norms in respect of Income Recognition, Assets Classification, Provisioning and Other Related Matters - Proced”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2004-05/410 UBD(PCB).Cir.42/09.140.00/2004-05 March 30, 2005. The Chief Executive Officers of All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks Dear Sir/Madam, Prudential Norms in respect of Income Recognition, Assets Classification, Provisioning and other related Matters-Procedure for accounting of accrued interest-UCBs Please refer to para 2(ii) regarding accounting of accrued interest of borrowal accounts which are performing assets, of our circular UBD.No.I & L(PCB)/46/12.05.00/94-95 dated 28.02.1995 on the captioned subject. 2. We advise that the instructions contained therein have been reviewed and it has been decided that the above paragraph may be amended and substituted as under: Existing paragraphNo 2(ii) : "In respect of borrowal accounts which are treated as performing assets, accrued interest can alternatively be debited to the borrowal account and credited to interest account and taken to income account. In such cases where the accrued interest has been debited to such borrowal account but not actually received before the end of the accounting year viz., Mach 31, equivalent amount corresponding to such unrealized interest should be reversed by debit to profit and loss account and credited to 'Overdue Interest Reserve Account." Revised paragraph: "In respect of borrowal accounts which are treated as performing assets, accrued interest may be debited to the borrowal account and credited to interest account and taken to income account." 3. Further a sub paragraph no 2(iii) to the exiting paragraph no. 2 may be inserted as under: Para 2(iii) -Reversal of income "If any advance, including bills purchased and discounted, becomes NPA as at the close of any year, interest accrued and credited to income account in the corresponding previous year, should be reversed or provided for if the same is not realised. This will apply to Government guaranteed accounts also." 4. In view of the foregoing, the Memorandum of Instructions annexed to the above circular has been suitably modified and is given in the enclosed annexure. Other instructions contained therein, remain unchanged. 5. Please acknowledge receipt to the concerned Regional Office of Reserve Bank of India. Yours faithfully, (K.R.Ananda) Chief General Manager-in-charge. Annexure Illustrative Accounting Entries to be passed in respect of Accrued Interest on both the Performing and Non-performing Advances I. Accrued Interest on Performing Advances (i) It has been clarified in paragraph 2(ii) of this circular that accrued interest in respect of performing advances may be charged to borrowal accounts and taken to income account. Illustratively, if the accrued interest is Rs.10,000/- in respect of performing advances of a borrower 'X' (cash credit, overdraft, loan account, etc.) the following entries can be passed in the Books of Account. (Dr) Borrower's account (CC, OD, loan) Rs.10,000.00 (Cr) Interest account Rs.10,000.00 (ii) In case the accrued interest of Rs.10,000/- in respect of the borrowal account is not actually realised and the account has become NPA as at the close of subsequent year, interest accrued and credited to income account in the corresponding previous year, should be reversed or provided for if the same is not realised by passing the following entries: (Dr) (P&L a/c) Rs. 10,000.00 (Cr) Overdue Interest Reserve Account Rs. 10,000.00 (iii) In case accrued interest is realised subsequently, the following entries may be passed: (Dr) Cash/Bank account Rs. 10,000.00 (Cr) Borrower's Account (CC, OD, Loan) Rs 10, 000.00 (Dr) Overdue Interest Reserve Account Rs. 10, 000.00 (Cr) Interest account Rs. 10,000.00 II. Accrued Interest on Non-Performing Advances (i) Accrued interest in respect of non-performing advances may be debited to 'Interest Receivable Account' and corresponding amount credited to 'Overdue Interest Reserve Account'. For example, if the interest accrued in respect of Cash Credit/OD/Loan etc. account of a borrower 'Y' is Rs.20,000/- the accounting entries may be passed as under: (Dr) Interest Receivable Account Rs.20,000.00 (Cr) Overdue Interest Reserve Account Rs.20,000.00 (ii) Subsequently, if interest is actually realised, the following accounting entries may be passed: (Dr) Cash/Bank Account Rs.20,000.00 (Cr) Interest account Rs.20,000.00 (Dr) Overdue Interest Reserve Account Rs.20,000.00 (Cr) Interest Receivable Account Rs.20,000.00 III. Accounting of Overdue Interest in Loan Ledgers & Balance Sheet (i) With a view to facilitating the banks to work out the amount of interest receivable in respect of each non-performing borrowal account, banks can consider opening a separate column in the individual ledger accounts of such borrowers and interest receivable shown therein. This would enable the banks to determine at a particular point of time, the amount of interest actually to be recovered from the borrowers. Total of the amounts shown under the separate columns in the loan ledgers would be interest receivable in respect of non-performing advances and it would get reflected as such on the 'assets' side of balance sheet with a corresponding item on the liabilities side of the balance sheet as 'Overdue Interest Reserve'. (ii) Similarly, a separate column should be provided in the loan ledger in respect of performing advances for showing accrued interest taken to income account on 31 March every year so that a watch can be kept on them. If the accrued interest is not realised and the account becomes NPA in the subsequent year, the amount has to be reversed or provided for.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2004-05/410 · issued 30 Mar 2005. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=2171&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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