HomeCirculars › RBI/2011-12/299

RBI Notifies Commission Changes for PPF, SCSS Agents

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/299 · issued 15 Dec 2011 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI has communicated a Government notification revising agent commission for small savings schemes. Commission on PPF (1%) and SCSS (0.5%) is discontinued from Dec 1, 2011. New rates for SAS and MPKBY agents are set, with state incentives to be deducted.

What changed

The Government of India, via notification dated November 25, 2011, discontinued commission payments on Public Provident Fund (PPF) and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS) accounts. It also introduced new commission rates for agents under the Standardised Agency System (SAS) and Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojana (MPKBY), effective December 1, 2011.

What it means for you

Banks operating PPF and SCSS schemes must stop paying agent commissions on these products from December 1, 2011. For other small savings instruments like time deposits and NSC, agents will earn 0.5% commission under SAS, while MPKBY agents get 4% on recurring deposits. Any incentives paid by state governments must be deducted from central government commission.

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

Banks operating PPF and SCSS schemes, Agents under SAS and MPKBY, Subscribers of PPF and SCSS

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

When did the commission changes take effect?

The changes took effect from December 1, 2011, as per the Government notification.

What is the new commission rate for MPKBY agents?

MPKBY agents will receive 4% commission on Five-Year Recurring Deposit accounts.

Are state government incentives still payable?

State/UT government incentives, if any, must be reduced from the commission paid by the Central Government.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2011-12/299 DGBA.CDD. No. H- 3764 /15.02.001/2011-12 December 15, 2011 The Chairman and Managing Director/Managing Director Head Office, Government Accounts Department State Bank of India/State Bank of Patiala/ State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur/State Bank of Travancore/ State Bank of Hyderabad/State Bank of Mysore/ Andhra Bank/ Allahabad Bank/Bank of Baroda/Bank of India/ Bank of Maharashtra/Canara Bank/Central Bank of India/ Corporation Bank/Dena Bank/Indian Bank/Indian Overseas Bank/ Punjab National Bank/Syndicate Bank/UCO Bank/ Union Bank of India/United Bank of India/Vijaya Bank/IDBI Bank/ICICI Bank Ltd. Dear Sir/Madam, Amendment to Public Provident Fund Scheme, 1968 (PPF, 1968) and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, 2004 (SCSS, 2004) – Payment of commission to the agents. We forward herewith a copy of Government of India Notification No. F.1/12/2011-NS-II dated November 25, 2011 , on the captioned subject. The contents of the same are self-explicit. 2. In this regard, we advise that the contents of the Notification may be brought to the notice of the branches of your bank operating the PPF, 1968 and SCSS, 2004 Scheme. These should also be displayed on the notice boards of your branches for the information of the PPF, 1968 & SCSS, 2004 subscribers and agents. Yours faithfully (Shrikant Hamine) Manager Encls: One [TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE OF INDIA: EXTRAORDINARY, PART I- SEC.1] New Delhi, the 25th November 2011 MINISTRY OF FINANCE (Department of Economic Affairs) NOTIFICATION No. F. 1/12/2011-NS-II – The Central Government hereby notifies that the authorised Standardised Agency System (SAS) and Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojana (MPKBY) agents for canvassing/securing investments in the small savings schemes as per the terms of agreement executed by them under the Standardised Agency System (SAS) and Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojana (MPKBY) will be paid commission at the rate indicated below: (A) MAHILA PRADHAN KSHETRIYA BACHAT YOJANA (MPKBY)                                                                         Rate (i)   Five-Year Recurring Deposit Account          -  4% (B) STANDARDISED AGENCY SYSTEM (SAS) (i)   One-Year Time Deposit                           -   0.5% (ii)  Two-Year and 3-Year Time Deposit         - 0.5% (iii)  Five-Year Time Deposit                           -  0.5% (iv)  Monthly Income Account Scheme           -     0.5% (v)   Five/Six-Year National Savings Certificate (VIII-issue)    0.5% (vi)  Ten-year National Savings Certificate (IX-issue) - 0.5% 2. Payment of commission on Public Provident Fund Scheme (1%) and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (0.5%) shall be discontinued. 3. Incentive, if any, paid by State/Union Territory Governments shall be reduced from commission paid by the Central Government. 4. These instructions shall take effect from the 1st day of December, 2011 . M.A.Khan, Under Secretary
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/299 · issued 15 Dec 2011. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=6871&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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