HomeCirculars › RBI/2011-12/374

Savings Bank Deposit Rate Deregulation for RRBs/Co-op Banks

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/374 · issued 30 Jan 2012 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI clarifies that deregulated savings deposit interest rates apply only to domestic resident accounts. Interest must be calculated on end-of-day balances: uniform rate up to Rs. 1 lakh, differential rates allowed above that. Board/ALCO approval needed for rate fixation.

What changed

RBI clarified that the earlier deregulation circulars apply solely to domestic savings deposits held by residents in India. Interest calculation must now be based on end-of-day balances, with a uniform rate for balances up to Rs. 1 lakh and optional differential rates for amounts exceeding Rs. 1 lakh. Banks must ensure no discrimination across branches and obtain board or delegated ALCO approval for rate setting.

What it means for you

RRBs, StCBs, and DCCBs now have flexibility to set differential savings deposit rates for balances above Rs. 1 lakh, but must maintain uniformity for the first lakh. This allows product differentiation for high-balance accounts while protecting smaller depositors. Banks need to update their core banking systems for end-of-day balance-based interest calculation and secure formal approval from their board or ALCO before implementing any rate changes.

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

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), State Co-operative Banks (StCBs), District Central Co-operative Banks (DCCBs), Depositors with domestic savings accounts

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

Does this circular apply to NRI savings accounts?

No, the clarification explicitly states that the revised guidelines apply only to domestic savings bank deposits held by residents in India.

Can we offer a higher rate on balances above Rs. 1 lakh?

Yes, for end-of-day balances exceeding Rs. 1 lakh, banks may apply differential rates as fixed by them, subject to board/ALCO approval.

Do we need board approval for every rate change?

Prior approval of the board or the Asset Liability Management Committee (if powers are delegated by the board) is required when fixing interest rates on such deposits.

📜 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 #1379: RPCD.CO.RRB.BC.No.57/03.05.33/2011-12 — "Deregulation of Savings Bank Deposit Interest Rate - Guidelines" dated January 30, 2012”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2011-12/374 RPCD.CO.RRB.BC.No.57 /03.05.33 /2011-12 January 30, 2012 All State Co-operative Banks (StCBs) / District Central Co-operative Banks (DCCBs) / Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) Dear Sir, Deregulation of Savings Bank Deposit Interest Rate - Guidelines Please refer to our circulars RPCD.CO.RRB.BC.NO.33/03.05.33/2011-12 dated November 23, 2011 and RPCD.CO.RCB.BC.No. 47/07.38.01/2011-12 dated December 26, 2011 on the captioned subject. 2. Based on the references received from banks, we clarify that the revised guidelines issued vide our circulars referred to above would be applicable to domestic savings bank deposits held by residents in India. Further, the interest rates applicable on the domestic savings deposit will be determined on the basis of end-of-day balance in the account. Accordingly, while calculating interest on domestic savings bank deposits, RRBs/StCBs/DCCBs are required to apply the uniform rate set by them on end-of-day balance up to Rs. 1 lakh and for any end-of-day balance exceeding Rs.1 lakh, banks may apply the differential rate(s) as fixed by them. 3. RRBs/StCBs/DCCBs may ensure that interest rate is applied, as stated above, on the end-of-day balances of all domestic savings deposits accounts and no discrimination is made at any of its offices. Prior approval of the Board/Asset Liability Management Committee (if powers are delegated by the Board) may be obtained by RRBs/StCBs/DCCBs while fixing interest rates on such deposits. 4.  All other instructions in this regard, as amended from time to time, will remain unchanged. 5. Please acknowledge receipt of this circular to the Regional Office concerned. (C. D. Srinivasan) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/374 · issued 30 Jan 2012. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Topics: Co-operative Banks
Key dataSee the live numbers behind this topic: RBI Penalty Tracker, NPA / Asset-Quality Tracker — updated from official RBI data.
Key termsPlain-English definitions of terms in this circular — see the full Indian banking glossary. KYC / AML · Gross NPA (GNPA) · Deposit insurance (DICGC) · Scheduled Commercial Bank (SCB)

💬 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=6971&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 ↗