Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/241 · issued 19 Feb 2008 · ~2 min read
Quick answerBanks must now report half-yearly SC/ST priority sector advances using revised Annexure I and IA formats. DRI scheme housing loan limit for SC/ST raised to Rs 20,000 per beneficiary, over and above the Rs 15,000 individual loan limit.
The rule, in the simplest words
Banks must send a report every 6 months (half-yearly) about loans given to SC/ST (Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes) people, using new forms called Annexure I and IA.
Under the DRI (Differential Rate of Interest) scheme, SC/ST customers can now get a housing loan up to Rs 20,000 per person, on top of the regular Rs 15,000 loan limit.
The report must show data as on the last Friday of March and September each year.
Banks need to update their internal systems and train staff to follow these new rules.
How it plays out — a real example
An agri & priority-sector lending officer in Indore is reviewing loan applications for SC/ST customers. She remembers the new rule: under the DRI scheme, a qualified SC/ST borrower can now get a housing loan of up to Rs 20,000 in addition to the usual Rs 15,000 loan. She updates the bank's loan product sheet and explains to a customer that they can apply for both loans together, helping them build a small home.
What changed
The RBI has revised the reporting format for credit facilities to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under priority sector lending. Banks are now required to submit data half-yearly using the updated Annexure I and Annexure IA. Additionally, under the Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) scheme, SC/ST beneficiaries can now avail housing loans up to Rs 20,000 per person, in addition to the existing individual loan limit of Rs 15,000.
What it means for you
This revision standardizes and enhances the granularity of SC/ST lending data, enabling better monitoring of priority sector compliance. The increased DRI housing loan limit provides banks a clear product to offer eligible SC/ST customers, potentially boosting housing finance under priority sector. Banks must update their internal reporting systems and loan product documentation to reflect these changes.
What you must do
Update internal reporting templates to capture SC/ST advances data in the revised Annexure I and IA formats.
Ensure half-yearly submission of SC/ST credit data as on the last reporting Friday of March and September.
Train loan officers on the enhanced DRI housing loan limit of Rs 20,000 for SC/ST beneficiaries.
Review existing DRI scheme loan products to incorporate the additional housing loan component.
Acknowledge receipt of this circular to the RBI as instructed.
Who it affects
All Indian Scheduled Commercial Banks, Priority Sector Lending Departments, Credit Reporting and Compliance Teams, Retail and Microfinance Loan Officers handling SC/ST customers
❓ Common questions
What is the new reporting frequency for SC/ST credit data?
Banks must now submit the data on a half-yearly basis, as on the last reporting Friday of March and September, using the revised Annexure I and Annexure IA formats.
What are the key changes in the DRI scheme for SC/ST beneficiaries?
Under the DRI scheme, SC/ST beneficiaries meeting income criteria can now get a housing loan up to Rs 20,000 per person, in addition to the existing individual loan limit of Rs 15,000 for productive activities.
Which banks need to submit Annexure IA?
Annexure IA is applicable only for public sector banks, requiring details of loans disbursed to SHGs belonging to Scheduled Tribes under the NSTFDC Micro-Credit Scheme.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2007-2008/241
RPCD.SP.
BC. No 49 /09.09.01/ 2007-08
February 19, 2008
All
Indian Scheduled Commercial Banks
Dear Sir,
Credit Facilities
to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes- Revised Annexure
Please
refer to our Master circular ref. RPCD. No.SP. BC. 2/ 09.09.01/ 2007-08 dated
July 2, 2007 on the captioned subject. In this connection, we advise that guidelines
on lending to priority sector has been revised vide RPCD.No.Plan.BC.84 /04.09.01/2006-07
dated April 30,2007. Accordingly, you may furnish the data on credit facilities
to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under priority sector in the revised
Annexure 1 and Annexure 1a enclosed
on a half yearly basis.
In addition to above, you may
also take note of the following changes in the para on Reservations for SCs /STs
under the Differential Rate of Interest Scheme in our Master Circular dated July
2,2007.
Under the DRI scheme, banks can provide individual
loans upto Rs. 15,000/- at a concessional rate of interest of 4% p.a. to the weaker
sections of the community for engaging in productive and gainful activities. In
addition, members of SC/STs satisfying the income criteria of the scheme can also
avail of housing loan up to Rs. 20,000/- per beneficiary over and above the individual
loan of Rs. 15000/- available under the scheme. ( as announced in the Union Budget
2007-08)
The remaining instructions as existing in the
Master Circular on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes dated July 2, 2007 remains
unchanged.
3. Please acknowledge receipt.
Yours
faithfully,
(G.Srinivasan)
Chief General Manager
ANNEXURE
I
(Paragraph 3)
Statement showing Advances
granted to Scheduled Castes/
Scheduled Tribes as on the last reporting Friday
of March/September
(Amount
in thousands of rupees)
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/241 · issued 19 Feb 2008. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All Indian Scheduled Commercial Banks, Priority Sector Lending Departments, Credit Reporting and Compliance Teams, Retail and Microfinance Loan Officers handling SC/ST customers), your first concrete step on “Revised Reporting Format for SC/ST Credit Data” is: “Update internal reporting templates to capture SC/ST advances data in the revised Annexure I and IA formats.” (RBI issued this 19 Feb 2008).
Circular: RBI/2007-2008/241 -- Revised Reporting Format for SC/ST Credit Data
Issued: 19 Feb 2008
Action required: Update internal reporting templates to capture SC/ST advances data in the revised Annexure I and IA formats.
Action required: Ensure half-yearly submission of SC/ST credit data as on the last reporting Friday of March and September.
Action required: Train loan officers on the enhanced DRI housing loan limit of Rs 20,000 for SC/ST beneficiaries.
Action required: Review existing DRI scheme loan products to incorporate the additional housing loan component.
Action required: Acknowledge receipt of this circular to the RBI as instructed.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
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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=4061&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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