RBI (Urban Co-operative Banks – Licensing, Scheduling and Regulatory Classification) Repeal Guidelines, 2025

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the RBI (Urban Co-operative Banks – Licensing, Scheduling and Regulatory Classification) Repeal Guidelines, 2025 on December 4, 2025, formally repealing the previous Guidelines issued on November 28, 2025. The RBI stated that the repeal was necessary and expedient in the public interest and simultaneously replaced the earlier Guidelines with a new set issued on the same day. Despite the repeal, all actions, approvals, acknowledgments, rights, obligations, liabilities, penalties, forfeitures, and ongoing investigations or legal proceedings initiated under the repealed Guidelines remain valid and enforceable as if the prior Guidelines had not been repealed. This ensures continuity of regulatory and legal effects for Urban Co-operative Banks while introducing the updated framework for licensing, scheduling, and regulatory classification. The repeal safeguards existing processes and maintains legal certainty, allowing Urban Co-operative Banks to continue operations without disruption under the revised regulatory framework.

Reserve Bank of India

RBI/DOR/2025-26/120 | Dated: December 04, 2025

Reserve Bank of India (Urban Co-operative Banks – Licensing, Scheduling and Regulatory Classification) Repeal Guidelines, 2025

The Reserve Bank of India being satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in the public interest to do so, hereby repeals the Reserve Bank of India (Urban Co­operative Banks – Licensing, Scheduling and Regulatory Classification) Guidelines, 2025 (RBI/DOR/2025-26/269) issued on November 28, 2025. The Guidelines have now been replaced with Reserve Bank of India (Urban Co­operative Banks – Licensing, Scheduling and Regulatory Classification) Guidelines, 2025 issued on December 04, 2025.

2. Notwithstanding such repeal, any action taken or purported to have been taken, or initiated under the repealed guidelines shall continue to be governed by the provisions thereof. All approvals or acknowledgments granted under these repealed guidelines shall be deemed as governed by these guidelines. Further, the repeal of these guidelines shall not in any way prejudicially affect:

i. any right, obligation or liability acquired, accrued, or incurred thereunder;

ii. any, penalty, forfeiture, or punishment incurred in respect of any contravention committed thereunder;

iii. any investigation, legal proceeding, or remedy in respect of any such right, privilege, obligation, liability, penalty, forfeiture, or punishment as aforesaid; and any such investigation, legal proceedings or remedy may be instituted, continued, or enforced and any such penalty, forfeiture or punishment may be imposed as if those directions, instructions, or guidelines had not been repealed.

(Manoranjan Padhy)
Chief General Manager