HomeCirculars › RBI/2004-05/444

Call Money Exposure Benchmark Shifted to Capital Funds

No longer current — replaced by Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Capital Market Exposure) Directions, 2025
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2004-05/444 · issued 29 Apr 2005 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI has changed the benchmark for setting prudential limits on call/notice money market exposure from owned funds to capital funds (Tier I + Tier II), effective April 30, 2005. Lending and borrowing limits remain unchanged.

What changed

Previously, prudential limits on call/notice money market exposure were linked to a bank's owned funds. Effective from the fortnight beginning April 30, 2005, the benchmark is now linked to capital funds, which is the sum of Tier I and Tier II capital as per the latest audited balance sheet.

What it means for you

Banks will now use a broader capital base (including Tier II) to calculate their exposure limits, potentially allowing higher absolute limits if capital funds exceed owned funds. This aligns the prudential framework with international norms and strengthens risk management. Lending and borrowing caps in the call/notice market remain unchanged, so the shift only affects the calculation basis.

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

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Treasury departments, Risk management teams

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

What is the effective date for this change?

The new benchmark applies from the fortnight beginning April 30, 2005.

Does this change affect the actual lending or borrowing limits?

No, the prudential limits for lending and borrowing in the call/notice money market remain unchanged. Only the benchmark for calculating those limits has changed.

What are capital funds as per this circular?

Capital funds are defined as the sum of Tier I and Tier II capital, as per the latest audited balance sheet.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Superseded by Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Capital Market Exposure) Directions, 2
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2004-05/444 REF: No. MPD. BC.265/07.01.279/ 2004-05 April 29, 2005 Vaishakha 08, 1927(S) To All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) Dear Sirs Call/Notice Money Market - Review of Benchmark Please refer to the Master Circular No. MPD. BC. 253/07.01.279/ 2004-05 dated July 03, 2004 in terms of which the benchmark for fixing prudential limits on exposure to call/notice market for scheduled commercial banks was linked to their owned funds (OF). 2. In this connection, please refer to paragraph 72 (i) of the annual policy Statement for the year 2005-06 ( copy of the paragraph enclosed ). 3. Accordingly, effective from the fortnight beginning April 30, 2005, the benchmark for fixing prudential limits on exposures to call/notice money market in the case of scheduled commercial banks would be linked to their capital funds (sum of Tier I and Tier II capital) as per their latest audited balance sheet. The prudential limits with respect to lending and borrowing in the call/notice money market would, however, remain unchanged. Yours faithfully (Deepak Mohanty) Adviser-in-charge Extract from Governor's Annual Policy Statement for the year 2005-06 Money Market Framework for Development of Money Market 72. Money market provides a focal point for the central bank’s operations in influencing system liquidity and thereby transmitting the monetary policy impulses. The broad policy objectives that are being pursued for the development of money market include ensuring stability in short-term interest rates, minimising default risk and achieving a balanced development of various segments of the money market. In order to review the recent developments and current status of money market in the context of evolving monetary policy framework, fiscal scenario, regulatory regime and extent of financial integration, both domestic and external, a Technical Group on Money Market was constituted. The Report of the Group was discussed in the Technical Advisory Committee on Money, Foreign Exchange and Government Securities Markets (TAC) and certain recommendations have been accepted for implementation. Accordingly, the following measures are proposed: i. Call/Notice/Term Money Market With effect from the fortnight beginning June 11, 2005, non-bank participants, except PDs, would be allowed to lend, on average in a reporting fortnight, up to 10 per cent of their average daily lending in call/notice money market during 2000-01. With effect from August 6, 2005, non-bank participants, except PDs, would be completely phased out from the call/notice money market. With effect from the fortnight beginning April 30, 2005, the benchmark for fixing prudential limits on exposures to call/notice money market in the case of scheduled commercial banks would be linked to their capital funds (sum of Tier I and Tier II capital). From April 30, 2005, all NDS members are required to report their term money deals on NDS platform. A screen-based negotiated quote-driven system for all dealings in call/notice and term money market transactions is proposed.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2004-05/444 · issued 29 Apr 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=2230&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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