HomeCirculars › RBI/2009-10/496

RBI mandates public disclosure of penalties on Primary Dealers

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/496 · issued 15 Jun 2010 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI now requires Primary Dealers to publicly disclose penalties imposed for guideline violations. A press release will detail the penalty circumstances, and the penalty must also appear in the dealer's annual report notes. Effective July 1, 2010.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A compliance officer named Rohan at a primary dealer bank in Delhi sees RBI's press release about a penalty. He updates the annual report’s Notes on Accounts to include the penalty, so investors know the dealer is following rules.

What changed

RBI has decided to place details of penalties levied on Primary Dealers in the public domain for transparency. A press release will be issued outlining the circumstances of the penalty, and the penalty must be disclosed in the 'Notes on Accounts' of the dealer's annual report.

What it means for you

Primary Dealers face increased reputational risk as penalties become public. This aligns with global best practices and pressures dealers to strictly comply with RBI guidelines. Banks and lenders dealing with Primary Dealers should factor this disclosure into their risk assessments.

What you must do

Who it affects

Primary Dealers

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

What triggers a penalty on a Primary Dealer?

Penalties are imposed for any violation or circumvention of RBI's operational guidelines or the terms of the undertaking given by the Primary Dealer, after a due process of notice and hearing.

How will the penalty be made public?

RBI will issue a press release detailing the circumstances of the penalty, and the Primary Dealer must also disclose the penalty in the 'Notes on Accounts' of its next annual report.

When does this disclosure requirement take effect?

The guidelines are effective from July 1, 2010.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2009-10/496 IDMD.PDRD.No. 5533/ 03.64.00 /2009-10 June 15, 2010 All Primary Dealers Dear Sir Primary Dealers – Imposition of Penalties – Disclosure As you are aware, in terms of paragraph 15 of the Master Circular on Operational Guidelines issued to the Primary Dealers on July 1, 2009, RBI is empowered to impose penalties on Primary Dealers for any violation / circumvention of the guidelines or the terms and conditions of the undertaking given by the Primary Dealers. The imposition of penalty on a Primary Dealer is decided after a due process of advising the Primary Dealer and seeking its explanation so as to afford a reasonable opportunity to the Primary Dealer for being heard has been given. 2. In order to maintain transparency with regard to imposition of penalties and in conformity with the best practices in disclosure of penalties imposed by the regulator, it has been decided that the details of the penalty levied on a Primary Dealer should be placed in the public domain. 3. The mode of disclosure of penalties imposed by the Reserve Bank would be as follows: A Press Release will be issued by the Reserve Bank giving details of the circumstances under which the penalty is imposed on the Primary Dealer alongwith the communication on the imposition of penalty in public domain. The penalty should also be disclosed in the “Notes on Accounts” to the Balance Sheet of the Primary Dealer in the next Annual Report. 4. The above guidelines would be effective from July 1, 2010. Yours faithfully (K.K.Vohra) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/496 · issued 15 Jun 2010. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Who does what — compliance checklist
🏦 Branch Manager
  • Monitor RBI press releases for any penalty announcements that may affect counterparty risk assessments.
📜 Compliance
  • Ensure your compliance team reviews all RBI operational guidelines to avoid violations that could lead to public penalties.
  • Update your annual report preparation process to include mandatory disclosure of any RBI-imposed penalties in the 'Notes on Accounts'.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (Primary Dealers), your first concrete step on “RBI mandates public disclosure of penalties on Primary Dealers” is: “Ensure your compliance team reviews all RBI operational guidelines to avoid violations that could lead to public penalties.” (RBI issued this 15 Jun 2010).

  1. Circular: RBI/2009-10/496 -- RBI mandates public disclosure of penalties on Primary Dealers
  2. Issued: 15 Jun 2010
  3. Action required: Ensure your compliance team reviews all RBI operational guidelines to avoid violations that could lead to public penalties.
  4. Action required: Update your annual report preparation process to include mandatory disclosure of any RBI-imposed penalties in the 'Notes on Accounts'.
  5. Action required: Monitor RBI press releases for any penalty announcements that may affect counterparty risk assessments.
  6. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  7. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  8. 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.

💬 Banker Discussion

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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=5728&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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