Each bank will have to offer a uniform interest rate on savings bank deposits up to Rs. 1 lakh, irrespective of the amount in the account within this limit. Second, for savings bank deposits over ` 1 lakh, a bank may provide differential rates of interest, if it so chooses, subject to the condition that banks will not discriminate in the matter of interest paid on such deposits, between one deposit and another of similar amount, accepted on the same date, at any of its offices.

We forward herewith 5 copies of Government of India Notification G.S.R. 770 (E) dated October 19, 2011, on the captioned subject, the contents of which are self-explicit. 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 SCSS, 2004 and may also be displayed on the notice boards of your branches for the information of the SCSS, 2004 subscribers.

Country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to abolish pre-payment charges on home loans, giving some succour to borrowers who want to foreclose their accounts. SBI has decided to do away with the pre-payment charges on all kinds of housing loans with immediate effect. The bank has been charging pre-payment penalties only on housing loans with floating interest rates taken before May 2011.

Interest rates on fresh Non-Resident (External) Rupee (NRE) Term Deposits for one to three years maturity should not exceed the LIBOR / SWAP rates plus 275 basis points, as on the last working day of the previous month, for US dollar of corresponding maturities (as against LIBOR / SWAP rates plus 175 basis points effective from the close of business on November 15,2008).The interest rates as determined above for three year deposits will also be applicable in case the maturity period exceeds three years. The changes in interest rates will also apply to NRE deposits renewed after their present maturity period.

Please refer to our circular RPCD.CO.RF. BC No. 78/07.38.03 / 2005-06 dated April 27, 2006 in terms of which banks are prohibited from crediting ‘account payee’ cheques to the account of any person other than the payee named therein. With a view to mitigate the difficulties faced by the members of co-operative credit societies in collection of account payee cheques, relaxation was extended vide our circular RPCD CO. RCBD. BC. No. 24 /07.38.03/2010-11 dated October 19, 2010. In terms of the said circular, banks may consider collecting account payee cheques drawn for an amount not exceeding Rs.50,000/- to the account of their customers who are co-operative credit societies, if the payees of such cheques are the constituents of such co-operative credit societies.

In terms of the sub-para (iv) (c) on Foreign Currency-INR swaps in para 1 of the Part B.I. of the Section B in the Annex to the A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 32 dated December 28, 2010 the extant instructions state that Swap transactions may be undertaken by AD Category I banks as intermediaries by matching the requirements of corporate counterparties. While no limits are placed on the AD Category I banks for undertaking swaps to facilitate customers to hedge their foreign exchange exposures, a limit of USD 100 million is placed for net supply of foreign exchange in the market….

Parking of ECB Proceeds The proceeds of the ECB raised abroad for Rupee expenditure in India, such as, local sourcing of capital goods, on-lending to Self-Help Groups or for micro credit, payment for spectrum allocation, etc., should be brought immediately for credit to Rupee accounts with AD Category I banks in India. In other words, [...]

On a review of the developments in the global financial markets and current macro-economic conditions, it has been decided, in consultation with the Government of India, to modify certain aspects of the External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) policy as under:

Interest Rates on Non-Resident (External) Rupee (NRE) Deposits In view of the prevailing market conditions, it has been decided that until further notice and with effect from close of business in India as on November 23, 2011, the interest rates on Non- Resident (External) Rupee (NRE) Term Deposits will be as under: Interest rates on [...]

Banks are free to determine their savings bank deposit interest rate for resident Indians only with immediate effect subject to two conditions. First, each bank will have to offer a uniform interest rate on savings bank deposits up to Rs.1 lakh, irrespective of the amount in the account within this limit. Second, for savings bank deposits over Rs.1 lakh, a bank may provide differential rates of interest, if it so chooses, subject to the condition that banks will not discriminate in the matter of interest paid on such deposits, between one deposit and another of similar amount, accepted on the same date, at any of its offices.