RBI Prohibits Loans for Acquisition of Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs) and Other Small Savings Instruments
No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/288 · issued 14 Mar 2007 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI has directed all scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs) to stop lending for acquiring Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs) and other small savings instruments, as such loans undermine the schemes' goal of promoting fresh savings among small savers.
What changed
RBI observed banks sanctioning loans to high net worth individuals (HNIs) for KVPs, where the borrower put up 10% margin and the bank funded 90%, with KVPs pledged as collateral. The circular explicitly prohibits any loans for acquiring or investing in small savings instruments like KVPs.
What it means for you
Banks must cease all lending linked to small savings instruments, including KVPs, as these loans merely shift existing bank deposits into small savings rather than generating new savings. This closes a loophole used by HNIs to leverage bank funds for tax-advantaged investments, and non-compliance could invite supervisory action.
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
Immediately stop sanctioning any new loans for acquisition of KVPs or other small savings instruments.
Review existing loan portfolios to identify and classify any such loans; ensure no further disbursements.
Update internal credit policies and loan product documentation to explicitly exclude small savings instruments as eligible purposes.
Communicate this prohibition to all branches and credit officers through a circular or advisory.
Who it affects
All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), High net worth individuals (HNIs) who used such loan structures, Bank credit and risk management teams
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 17:45 IST
repealed_by — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
Status change: withdrawn05 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
Does this circular apply to loans already sanctioned but not yet disbursed?
Yes, the circular directs banks to ensure no loans are sanctioned for acquiring KVPs or similar instruments, so any undisbursed portion of such loans should be halted immediately.
Are loans against existing KVPs as collateral also banned?
The circular specifically prohibits loans for acquisition of KVPs. Loans against KVPs already held as collateral for other purposes are not addressed in this circular.
What are the consequences if a bank continues to offer such loans?
RBI has not specified penalties in this circular, but non-compliance with regulatory directives can lead to supervisory action.
📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed byRBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #2490: DBOD.No.Dir.BC.69/13.03.00/2006-2007 — "Grant of Loans for Acquisition of Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs)" dated March 14, 2007”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2006-2007/288
DBOD.No.Dir.BC.69/13.03.00/2006-2007
March 14, 2007
All Scheduled Commercial Banks
(excluding RRBs)
Dear Sir
Grant of Loans for acquisition of Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs)
We have recently come across certain instances where banks had sanctioned loans to individuals (mostly High Networth Individuals-HNIs) for acquisition of Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs). The HNIs were first required to bring in 10% of the total face value of the proposed investment in the KVPs as margin and the remaining 90% of the investment was treated as loan and funded by the bank for acquisition of the KVPs. Once the KVPs were acquired in the borrower's name, the same were pledged thereafter to the bank.
2.The sanction of loans as described above is not in conformity with the objectives of small savings schemes. As banks may be aware, the basic objective of small savings schemes is to provide a secure avenue of savings for small savers and promote savings, as well as to inculcate the habit of thrift among the people. The grant of loans for acquiring/investing in KVPs does not promote fresh savings and, rather, channelises the existing savings in the form of bank deposits to small savings instruments and thereby defeats the very purpose of such schemes. Banks may therefore ensure that no loans are sanctioned for acquisition of/investing in Small Savings Instruments including Kisan Vikas Patras.
Yours faithfully
(P. Vijaya Bhaskar)
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/288 · issued 14 Mar 2007. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.
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=3347&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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