HomeCirculars › RBI/2010-11/456

RBI (2011) urged banks to speed up Financial Literacy Centres

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/456 · issued 31 Mar 2011 · ~1 min read
Quick answerIn a 2011 circular, RBI flagged slow progress in setting up Financial Literacy and Credit Counselling Centres (FLCCs) and directed all scheduled commercial banks, including RRBs, to accelerate their rollout as per the 2009 model scheme to boost financial inclusion.

What changed

In 2011, RBI observed that the number of FLCCs opened remained low and the pace was inadequate in some states. It reiterated the need to set up these centres at block, district, town, and city levels as per the earlier model scheme.

What it means for you

Banks were required to prioritize establishing FLCCs to meet financial inclusion goals. Non-compliance or slow progress may attract regulatory scrutiny. This directive reinforced that FLCCs are a key channel for credit counselling and literacy, especially in underserved areas.

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

All Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Bank branches in underserved states, Financial inclusion teams

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

What is the model scheme for FLCCs?

The model scheme, issued in February 2009, outlines the framework for setting up Financial Literacy and Credit Counselling Centres at block, district, town, and city levels to promote financial inclusion.

Why did RBI push for more FLCCs in 2011?

RBI noted that the number of FLCCs opened so far was low and the pace was not adequate in some states, which hampered financial inclusion efforts.

Which banks were covered by this directive?

All Scheduled Commercial Banks, including Regional Rural Banks, were required to comply with this directive.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2010-11/456 RPCD.CO.FID. BC.No.58 /12.01.018/2010-11 March 31, 2011 The Chaiman & Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer All Scheduled Commercial Banks (including Regional Rural Banks) Dear Sir, Establishment of Financial Literacy and Credit Counselling Centres. We invite your attention to our circular RPCD.CO.MFFI.BC.NO.86/12.01.018/2008-09 dated February 4, 2009 communicating a ‘Model scheme’ with regard to establishment of Financial Literacy and Credit Counselling Centres (FLCCs). In the Model Scheme, it was envisaged that in order to have maximum coverage, FLCCs may need to be set up at all levels viz. block, district, town and city levels. Accordingly banks were expected to initiate setting up of FLCCs. 2. However, the number of FLCCs opened in the country has been low and the pace of setting up such centres is not up to the desired extent in some States. There is considerable merit in concerns of some key stakeholders with regard to the inadequate number of FLCCs operating in States. 3. As you are aware, FLCCs are integral to financial inclusion and therefore, it is imperative that more such centres are set up. You are, therefore advised to set up FLCCs as envisaged in the Model scheme already communicated to you. Yours faithfully (Dr.Deepali Pant Joshi) Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/456 · issued 31 Mar 2011. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related

💬 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=6316&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.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗