The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on December 11, 2025, issued the Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Amendment Directions, 2025. These amendments follow the enactment of the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025, which revised statutory provisions governing CRR and SLR, including redefining the term “fortnight” for compliance and reporting under the RBI Act and the Banking Regulation Act.
Under the amended definition, a fortnight now refers to 1st–15th and 16th–last day of each calendar month. Consequently, all CRR and SLR maintenance and reporting structures—particularly Form A (CRR return) and Form VIII (SLR return)—have been updated. Provisional, final, and special returns have been discontinued. Returns must now be submitted electronically through the Centralised Information Management System (CIMS), duly signed by two authorised officials. Several paragraphs of the original Directions have been modified or deleted to align with the new fortnight cycle.
Transitional arrangements have been introduced for the period December 12–15, 2025, requiring banks to maintain CRR based on NDTL as of November 28, 2025, and to submit both old and new versions of the applicable returns. From December 15, 2025, Form A must be filed fortnightly and Form VIII monthly in the new formats, with certain provisions effective from December 12, 2025.
[Notification No. RBI/2025-26/149; DOR.RET.REC.355/12.01.001/2025-26]
