HomeCirculars › RBI/2006-2007/292

RBI Bans Loans for Kisan Vikas Patras

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/292 · issued 23 Mar 2007 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI has directed all StCBs/DCCBs to stop lending for Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs) and other small savings instruments. Such loans defeat the purpose of promoting fresh savings and thrift.

What changed

RBI observed banks sanctioning loans where borrowers put up 10% margin and the bank funded 90% for KVP purchase, with KVPs pledged as collateral. The circular explicitly prohibits any loans for acquiring or investing in small savings instruments including KVPs.

What it means for you

Banks can no longer offer loan products structured around small savings instruments like KVPs. This closes a loophole where bank deposits were being diverted into small savings schemes, undermining the original intent of these instruments to encourage genuine savings.

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

State Co-operative Banks (StCBs), District Central Co-operative Banks (DCCBs), Borrowers seeking loans for small savings instruments

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

Does this ban apply to all small savings instruments or only KVPs?

The circular explicitly covers all small savings instruments including Kisan Vikas Patras. Banks must ensure no loans are sanctioned for acquiring or investing in any such instruments.

What was the typical loan structure that RBI found problematic?

Borrowers were required to bring in 10% of the face value as margin, and the bank funded the remaining 90% as a loan. The KVPs were then pledged to the bank as collateral.

Why did RBI consider these loans problematic?

Such loans do not promote fresh savings; they merely shift existing bank deposits into small savings instruments, defeating the core objective of these schemes to encourage thrift and genuine savings.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #2488: RPCD.CO.RF.BC.No.57/07.40.06/2006-07 — "Grant of Loans for acquisition of Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs)" dated March 23, 2007”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2006-2007/292 RPCD.CO.RF.BC.No.57/07.40.06/2006-07 March 23, 2007 The Chief Executive Officers of All State / Central Co-operative Banks (StCBs/DCCBs) Dear Sir/Madam, Grant of Loans for acquisition of Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs) We have recently come across certain instances where banks had sanctioned loans to individuals for acquisition of Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs).  The individuals 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. 3. Please acknowledge receipt to our Regional Office concerned. Yours faithfully, (C.S.Murthy) Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/292 · issued 23 Mar 2007. 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=3370&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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