HomeCirculars › RBI/2009-10/54

Master Circular on Nomination for Relief/Savings Bonds

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/54 · issued 01 Jul 2009 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI consolidated all existing instructions on nomination for Relief/Savings Bonds into a single master circular, updated as of June 30, 2009. Key rules: sole/joint holders can nominate one or more persons (including NRIs for specific bonds), nominations must be made before maturity, and agency banks must issue acknowledgment.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

An agency-banking (government business) officer in Indore, working for a bank that handles Relief/Savings Bonds, ensures that every nomination made by bondholders is processed correctly and an 'Acknowledgement of Nomination' is issued. This includes verifying that the nominee is competent to hold a similar bond and that the nomination is made before the bond's maturity date. The officer also makes sure to follow the specific regulations for 6.5% Savings Bonds 2003 (Non-Taxable) and 8% Savings (Taxable) Bonds 2003, which allow Non-Resident Indians to be nominated as well.

What changed

RBI issued a revised Master Circular on 'Nomination facility in Relief / Savings Bonds', consolidating all prior instructions into one document updated annually. The circular includes provisions for nominating NRIs for 6.5% Savings Bonds 2003 (Non-Taxable) and 8% Savings (Taxable) Bonds 2003. It also clarifies that nominations automatically cancel upon transfer of the bond or upon holder's request for substitution/cancellation.

What it means for you

Banks acting as agency banks for Relief/Savings Bonds must ensure their staff are trained on the consolidated nomination rules, including the ability to nominate NRIs for specific bond types. The requirement to issue an 'Acknowledgement of Nomination' adds an operational step that banks must integrate into their processes. This circular reduces ambiguity by providing a single reference point for all nomination-related procedures.

What you must do

Who it affects

Agency banks handling Relief/Savings Bonds (SBI, associate banks, nationalized banks, ICICI, IDBI, HDFC, Axis), Public Debt Offices (PDOs), Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd, Bondholders (individual and joint holders)

❓ Common questions

Can a non-resident Indian (NRI) be nominated for any Relief/Savings Bond?

No, NRI nomination is only permitted for 6.5% Savings Bonds, 2003 (Non-Taxable) and 8% Savings (Taxable) Bonds, 2003. Remittance of interest/maturity value to NRIs will follow applicable regulations.

What happens if a nominee is a minor?

The bondholder can appoint a person (who is not a minor) to receive the bond proceeds on behalf of the minor nominee in the event of the holder's death during the nominee's minority.

Does a nomination automatically cancel if the bond is transferred?

Yes, any nomination stands automatically cancelled if the holder transfers the bond to another person.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2009-10/54 DGBA.CDD No. H – 16/ 13.01.299 / 2009-10 July 1, 2009 Ashadha 9, 1931 (S) The Chairman / Managing Director State Bank of India and Associate banks 17 Nationalized banks ICICI Bank Ltd / IDBI Bank Ltd / HDFC Bank Ltd / Axis Bank Ltd Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd Dear Sir Master Circular on Nomination facility in Relief / Savings Bonds The Department of Government and Bank Accounts, Central Office, RBI has been issuing instructions relating to nomination facility for Relief / Savings bond holders from time to time.  In order to enable Public Debt Offices/Agency Banks to have all the currently operative instructions on the above subject at one place, a revised Master Circular on ‘Nomination facility in Relief / Savings Bonds’ has been prepared which is updated upto 30th June every year. Accordingly, the amended circular giving the updation upto 30.06.2009 is enclosed . You may also access the circular on our website www.rbi.org.in Please acknowledge receipt. Yours faithfully, (Indira Nanu) General Manager Master Circular Relief Bond / Saving Bond Schemes Nomination facility i. A sole holder or all the joint holders (investors) of a Relief/Savings Bond other than in the form of promissory note or bearer bond may nominate one or more persons who in the event of death of the sole holder/all the joint holders, as the case may be, would be entitled to the Relief/Savings Bond and to the payment thereon, provided that the person or each of the persons nominated is himself / herself competent to hold a similar bond.                                   ii. The nomination should be made before maturity of the bond. iii. When nomination has been made in favour of two or more nominees, in the event of the death of either or any of them, the surviving nominee or nominees, as the case may be, shall be entitled to the Relief/Savings Bond and payment thereon. iv. A nomination made by the holder(s) of a Relief/Savings Bond may be varied or cancelled by making a fresh nomination in the prescribed manner and intimating the same in writing to the Reserve Bank of India/designated branch of authorised public/private sector bank. v. If the nominee is a minor, the holder(s) of the Relief/Savings Bond may appoint any person, not being a minor, to receive the proceeds of a Relief/Savings Bond on behalf of the nominee in the event of his/her/their death during the minority of the nominee. vi. The investor(s) may make separate nomination for each deposit in a BLA (subject to II above).    vii. Offices/Agency Banks to issue ‘Acknowledgement of Nomination’.                              viii. In case of 6.5 % Savings Bonds, 2003 (Non-Taxable) and 8 % Savings (Taxable) Bonds, 2003, the sole holder or all the joint holders can also nominate a Non-resident Indian (NRI) as his/her/their nominee(s) and  remittance of interest payment and/or maturity value, as the case may be, will be governed by the regulations as applicable to NRIs.      Exceptions – No nomination is permissible in the following cases:- (a) When the Certificate/BLA is held by an adult on behalf of a minor; (b) When the holder has no beneficial interest in the Certificate but holds it in an official or fiduciary capacity. Cancellation of Nomination : A nomination previously made will stand automatically cancelled - (a) if the holder(s) applies to PDO/Agency banks for substitution or cancellation and the substitution and cancellation is duly registered by the office; (b) if the holder(s) transfers the Certificate.  The various circulars issued by this Department based on which the above Master Circular is prepared are listed below. i) (Ref. Memorandum of Procedure Page 3) ii) (Ref.CO.DT.13.01.201/4087/2000-01 dt.16-2-2001) iii) (Ref.CO.DT.13.01.201/4854/2000-01 dt.19-3-2001) iv) (Ref.CO.DT.13.01.298/H-3410/2003-04 dt.20-12-2003) v) (Ref.CO.DT.13.01.299/H-3426/2003-04 dt.20-12-2003) vi) (Ref. DGBA.CDD. No.H-2173/13.01.299/2008-09 dated September 2, 2008) (In case detailed clarifications are required on specific issues, the circulars indicated above may please be referred to.)
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/54 · issued 01 Jul 2009. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Who does what — compliance checklist
🏦 Branch Manager
  • Ensure that agency bank branches issue an 'Acknowledgement of Nomination' for every nomination made by bondholders.
💻 IT / Systems
  • Verify that systems can handle nominations for NRIs on 6.5% Savings Bonds 2003 and 8% Savings (Taxable) Bonds 2003, with proper remittance checks.
📜 Compliance
  • Update internal manuals and staff training materials to reflect the consolidated nomination rules from this master circular.
  • Communicate to relevant departments that nominations automatically cancel upon bond transfer or upon holder's request for substitution/cancellation.
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 (Agency banks handling Relief/Savings Bonds (SBI, associate banks, nationalized banks, ICICI, IDBI, HDFC, Axis), Public Debt Offices (PDOs), Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd, Bondholders (individual and joint holders)), your first concrete step on “Master Circular on Nomination for Relief/Savings Bonds” is: “Update internal manuals and staff training materials to reflect the consolidated nomination rules from this master circular.” (RBI issued this 01 Jul 2009).

  1. Circular: RBI/2009-10/54 -- Master Circular on Nomination for Relief/Savings Bonds
  2. Issued: 01 Jul 2009
  3. Action required: Update internal manuals and staff training materials to reflect the consolidated nomination rules from this master circular.
  4. Action required: Ensure that agency bank branches issue an 'Acknowledgement of Nomination' for every nomination made by bondholders.
  5. Action required: Verify that systems can handle nominations for NRIs on 6.5% Savings Bonds 2003 and 8% Savings (Taxable) Bonds 2003, with proper remittance checks.
  6. Action required: Communicate to relevant departments that nominations automatically cancel upon bond transfer or upon holder's request for substitution/cancellation.
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. 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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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=5103&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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