HomeCirculars › RBI/2005-2006/427

CRR Exemption for UCBs on Interbank and CBLO Liabilities

No longer current — replaced by Urban Co-operative Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) Directions, 2025
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-2006/427 · issued 22 Jun 2006 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI removed the 3% statutory minimum CRR floor for Scheduled Urban Co-operative Banks, effective June 22, 2006. CRR remains at 5% of demand and time liabilities, but interbank liabilities and CBLO transactions with CCIL are exempt from this requirement.

What changed

The statutory minimum CRR of 3% on total demand and time liabilities for Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks was abolished 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%, but the existing exemptions for interbank liabilities and CBLO transactions continue.

What it means for you

Banks no longer have a statutory floor on CRR, giving RBI full flexibility to adjust reserve requirements for monetary policy. For UCBs, the 5% CRR remains unchanged, but exempted categories (interbank and CBLO) reduce the effective reserve burden. This simplifies compliance and aligns UCBs with the broader scheduled banking framework.

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

Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Treasury and compliance teams at UCBs, RBI's Department of Banking Supervision (urban co-operative banks)

❓ 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 current CRR rate for UCBs?

No. The CRR rate remains at 5% of demand and time liabilities. Only the statutory minimum floor of 3% has been removed, giving RBI discretion to set CRR without a floor or ceiling.

Which liabilities are exempt from CRR under this notification?

Two categories: (i) liabilities to the banking system in India as defined under Section 42(1) of the RBI Act, and (ii) transactions in CBLO with the Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL).

When did these changes take effect?

The amendment to Section 42 and the notification came into force on June 22, 2006, the same date as the circular.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Superseded by Urban Co-operative Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Rati
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2005-2006/427 UBD.PCB.Cir.No. 60 /16.26.000/2005-2006 June 22, 2006 The Chief Executive Officers of All Scheduled Primary (urban) Co-operative Banks Dear Sir/Madam, Maintenance of CRR on Exempted Categories Please refer to paragraph 2.1.7(ii) of our Master Circular UBD.BR(PCB).MC.No. 16.26.00/04-05 dated August 26, 2004 on CRR and SLR. 2. In terms of the instructions contained therein, every Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative 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 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 UBD (PCB) Cir. No: 59/16.26.000/2005-2006  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 Primary (Urban) Co-operative Bank at 5 per cent of their demand and time liabilities , in terms of our circular UBD (PCB) Cir. No. 59 / 16.26.000 /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 Primary (Urban) Co-operative Bank. 5. A copy of the relative notification UBD (PCB) No. 13276/16.26.000/2005-2006 dated June 22, 2006 is enclosed. Yours faithfully, (N.S Vishwanathan) Chief General Manager-in-charge UBD (PCB) No. 13276/16.26.000/2005-2006 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 Primary (Urban) Co-operative Bank 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 Primary (Urban) Co-operative Bank 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 Primary (Urban) Co-operative Bank 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 Primary (Urban) Co-operative 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 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/2005-2006/427 · issued 22 Jun 2006. 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=2925&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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