Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2025-26/45 · issued 06 Jun 2025 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI reduces Bank Rate by 50 basis points, affecting penal interest rates on CRR and SLR shortfalls.
The rule, in the simplest words
The Bank Rate (the interest rate the RBI charges banks for loans) went down by 0.50% from 6.25% to 5.75%.
Penal interest (extra money banks must pay as a fine) for not keeping enough CRR (cash with RBI) or SLR (safe investments like government bonds) is now lower because it's tied to the Bank Rate.
The new penal interest rates are: Bank Rate plus 3% (so 5.75% + 3% = 8.75%) or Bank Rate plus 5% (so 5.75% + 5% = 10.75%).
This change happened right away on June 6, 2025, after the RBI's monetary policy announcement.
How it plays out — a real example
A treasury officer in Indore, Priya, checks her bank's daily CRR report and sees they are short by ₹2 crore. Because the Bank Rate just dropped to 5.75%, the penal interest she must pay on that shortfall is now 8.75% (Bank Rate + 3%) instead of the old 9.25%, saving her bank some money on the fine.
What changed
The Bank Rate has been revised downwards by 50 basis points from 6.25% to 5.75%. Penal interest rates on shortfalls in CRR and SLR requirements linked to the Bank Rate have also been revised. The revised penal interest rates are Bank Rate plus 3.0 percentage points or Bank Rate plus 5.0 percentage points.
What it means for you
The Bank Rate has been reduced by 50 basis points to 5.75%, and penal interest rates on CRR and SLR shortfalls linked to the Bank Rate have been revised accordingly.
What you must do
Note the revised Bank Rate and penal interest rates as per RBI circular.
Who it affects
All banks
❓ Common questions
What is the new Bank Rate?
The new Bank Rate is 5.75%.
How are penal interest rates affected?
Penal interest rates linked to the Bank Rate have been revised to Bank Rate plus 3.0 percentage points or Bank Rate plus 5.0 percentage points.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2025-26/45 · issued 06 Jun 2025. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All banks), your first concrete step on “Penal Interest on CRR and SLR” is: “Note the revised Bank Rate and penal interest rates as per RBI circular.” (RBI issued this 06 Jun 2025).
Circular: RBI/2025-26/45 -- Penal Interest on CRR and SLR
Issued: 06 Jun 2025
Action required: Note the revised Bank Rate and penal interest rates as per RBI circular.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
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
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.
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=12857&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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