Reserve Bank of India – Bulletin Weekly Statistical Supplement – Extract
Distilled Policy Brief
- The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 has officially revised the definition of a banking fortnight from alternate Fridays to the 15th and the last calendar day of a month, effective December 15, 2025.
- India's Foreign Exchange Reserves are structurally categorized into Foreign Currency Assets, Gold, Special Drawing Rights, and the Reserve Position in the International Monetary Fund.
- The Reserve Bank of India manages banking system liquidity through operations including the Standing Deposit Facility, Marginal Standing Facility, and Variable Rate Reverse Repos.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
Under the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025, the reporting fortnight for scheduled commercial banks is defined as the 15th and the last calendar day of a month.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Transitioning banking reporting cycles to fixed calendar dates enhances the synchronization of monetary data with fiscal cycles, enabling more precise liquidity management and policy formulation.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to India's banking and monetary statistics framework, consider the following statements: 1. As per the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025, the definition of a banking fortnight has been revised from alternate Fridays to the 15th and the last calendar day of a month, effective December 15, 2025. 2. India's Foreign Exchange Reserves are structurally categorized into Foreign Currency Assets, Gold, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and the Reserve Position in the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- [A] 1 only
- [B] 2 only
- [C] Both 1 and 2
- [D] Neither 1 nor 2
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statement 1 is correct because the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 officially revised the definition of a banking fortnight from alternate Fridays to the 15th and the last calendar day of a month, effective December 15, 2025. Statement 2 is also correct as India's Foreign Exchange Reserves comprise Foreign Currency Assets, Gold, Special Drawing Rights, and the Reserve Position in the IMF as per standard Reserve Bank of India reporting.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.