No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-2006/423 · issued 22 Jun 2006 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI removed the statutory minimum CRR of 3% on June 22, 2006, giving itself power to set CRR without floor or ceiling. The CRR rate stays at 5% of demand and time liabilities, and existing exemptions for inter-bank liabilities, ACU balances, CBLO transactions, and OBU liabilities continue.
What changed
The statutory minimum CRR of 3% of total demand and time liabilities was eliminated following the RBI (Amendment) Act 2006. RBI can now prescribe CRR without any floor or ceiling rate. The CRR rate remains unchanged at 5%, and the same four categories of liabilities continue to be exempt from this requirement.
What it means for you
Banks no longer have a statutory floor on CRR, giving RBI full flexibility to adjust reserve requirements for monetary stability. The immediate impact is nil as the rate stays at 5% and exemptions remain, but future CRR changes can be more aggressive without legal constraints. Banks should monitor RBI's monetary policy stance closely for potential CRR hikes or cuts.
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
Continue maintaining CRR at 5% of net demand and time liabilities as before.
Ensure exempt liabilities (inter-bank, ACU, CBLO, OBU) are correctly excluded from CRR computation.
Update internal CRR compliance systems to reflect removal of the 3% statutory floor.
Prepare for possible CRR rate changes in future monetary policy reviews.
Who it affects
All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), Treasury and ALM departments, Compliance and regulatory reporting teams
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?
No. The CRR rate remains at 5% of demand and time liabilities. Only the statutory minimum floor of 3% has been removed.
Which liabilities are exempt from CRR under this circular?
Liabilities to the banking system in India, credit balances in ACU (US$) accounts, CBLO transactions with CCIL, and demand/time liabilities of Offshore Banking Units (OBUs).
When did these changes take effect?
Both the removal of the 3% floor and the continuation of exemptions are effective from June 22, 2006.
📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
RBI’s words: “It has been decided to withdraw the above circular with immediate effect.”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2005-2006/423
DBOD.No.BC. 93 /12.01.001/2005-2006
June 22, 2006
To All Scheduled Commercial Banks
(excluding Regional Rural Banks)
Dear Sir,
Maintenance of CRR on Exempted Categories
Please refer to paragraph 2.3.7 of our Master
Circular RBI/2005-06/70/DBOD.Ret.BC.18/12.01.001 dated July 19, 2005 on
CRR and SLR.
2. In terms of the instructions contained therein,
every Scheduled Commercial 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) of the Explanation to Section 42(1) of the
RBI Act, 1934;
(ii) Credit balances in ACU (US $) Accounts;
(iii) Transactions in Collateralized Borrowing
and Lending Obligation (CBLO) with Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL);
and
(iv) Demand and Time Liabilities in respect
of their Offshore Banking Units (OBUs).
3. A reference is invited to our circular DBOD.No.Ret.BC.91/12.01.001/2005-2006
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
Commercial Banks at 5 per cent of their demand and time liabilities, in terms
of our circular DBOD.No.Ret.BC.91/12.01.001/2005-2006 dated June 22, 2006. It
has also been decided to exempt the liabilities referred to at paragraph 2 (i),
(ii), (iii) and (iv) on the previous page from the above CRR requirement of
5 per cent of the demand and time liabilities of Scheduled Commercial Banks.
5. A copy of the relative notification DBOD.No.Ret.BC.92/12.01.001/2005-2006
dated June 22, 2006 is enclosed.
Yours faithfully,
(T.B.Satyanarayan)
DBOD.No.BC. 92 /12.01.001/2005-2006
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 Commercial 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
Commercial 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
Commercial 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) of the Explanation to sub-section
(1) of Section 42 of the RBI Act, 1934;
(ii) Credit balances in ACU (US $) Accounts;
(iii) Transactions in Collateralized
Borrowing and Lending Obligation (CBLO) with Clearing Corporation of India
Ltd. (CCIL); and
(iv) Demand and Time Liabilities in
respect of their Offshore Banking Units (OBUs).
(Anand Sinha)
Executive Director
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-2006/423 · issued 22 Jun 2006. 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=2919&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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