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No longer current — replaced by Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Capital Market Exposure) Directions, 2025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
Update internal systems to compute prudential limits using capital funds (Tier I + Tier II) instead of owned funds.
Ensure the latest audited balance sheet is used for capital funds calculation.
Communicate the change to treasury and risk management teams for compliance from April 30, 2005.
Review current call/notice money market exposures to ensure they remain within the new limits.
Who it affects
All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Treasury departments, Risk management teams
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Stated effective dateeffective April 30, 2005
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 20:56 IST
Superseded by — Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Capital Market Exposure) Directions, 2025
Status change: superseded08 Jul 2026, 13:16 IST
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 byReserve 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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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). 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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