Home › Circulars › RBI/2009-10/298

J&K Added to Underbanked States List for Branch Expansion

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet

Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/298 · issued 01 Feb 2010 · ~1 min read

Quick answerRBI added Jammu & Kashmir to the underbanked states list, including Anantnag, Doda, Kupwara, and Poonch as underbanked districts. Banks can now open branches in these areas under relaxed authorisation norms.

What changed

RBI updated the list of underbanked states and districts under Annex III of its December 1, 2009 circular. Jammu & Kashmir is now classified as an underbanked state, and four of its districts—Anantnag, Doda, Kupwara, and Poonch—are added to the underbanked districts list.

What it means for you

Banks can now apply for branch authorisation in these J&K districts under relaxed norms, potentially speeding up branch expansion. This move aims to improve banking access in underserved areas, aligning with financial inclusion goals. Lenders may need to reassess their branch expansion plans to prioritise these districts.

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

Update your internal branch expansion strategy to include the newly added underbanked districts in J&K.
Review the relaxed branch authorisation policy under Section 23 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
Prepare branch proposals for Anantnag, Doda, Kupwara, and Poonch to leverage the relaxed norms.
Monitor RBI circulars for any further updates to the underbanked districts list.

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Banks with branch expansion plans in Jammu & Kashmir, Rural and semi-urban banking operations teams

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Decoded by BankPulse 2026-06-19 07:43 IST
repealed_by — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
Status change: withdrawn 03 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST

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

What does 'underbanked state' mean for branch authorisation?

Banks face fewer restrictions when opening branches in underbanked states, as per RBI's relaxed branch authorisation policy. This typically means faster approvals and lower compliance burden.

Are all districts of Jammu & Kashmir now underbanked?

No, only four districts—Anantnag, Doda, Kupwara, and Poonch—are listed as underbanked in this circular. Other districts may still be considered adequately banked.

Does this circular affect existing branches in these districts?

No, it only relaxes norms for new branch openings. Existing branches continue to operate under their current authorisation.

📜 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 #1757: DBOD.No.BL.BC.72/22.01.001/2009-10 — "Section 23 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 - Relaxations in Branch Authorisation Policy" dated February 1, 2010”

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI

RBI/2009-10/298 
 DBOD.No.BL.BC. 72 /22.01.001/2009-10 
 February 1, 2010 
 All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs) 
 Dear Sir
 Section 23 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 – 
 Relaxations in Branch Authorisation Policy 
 Please refer to Annex III of our circular  DBOD.No.BL.BC.65/22.01.001/2009-10 dated December 1, 2009 on the above subject, wherein a list of underbanked districts in underbanked States has been furnished. 
 2.  In partial modification thereof, we advise that Jammu & Kashmir State has since been included in the list of underbanked States and consequently the following underbanked districts of Jammu & Kashmir State – Anantnag, Doda, Kupwara and Poonch – have been included in the list of underbanked districts in underbanked States under Annex III of the above circular.  
 Yours faithfully
 (P.Vijaya Bhaskar) 
 Chief General Manager-in-charge

Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/298 · issued 01 Feb 2010. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.

🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related

Most relevant forBusiness Head / Vertical Head Branch Manager — Private Bank / SFB Branch Manager — PSU / Co-op / RRB (sanctioning powers)Senior Management / Board Compliance Team Marketing / Business Development

🛠 Banker’s toolkit — checklists & reply templates →

Related circulars · Department of Regulation

SFB Pillar 3 Disclosure Norms Aligned with Basel UCB Deposit Rate Disclosure & Uniformity Rules Updated LAB Deposit Rate Disclosure & Uniformity Rules Tightened Payments Banks: Interest Rates Must Match Disclosed Schedule RBI Updates Bulk Deposit Rate Rules and Disclosure Timing

Browse all departments →

💬 Banker Discussion

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.

Loading comments…

BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 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=5481&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.