Reserve Bank of India – Bulletin Weekly Statistical Supplement – Extract
Distilled Policy Brief
- Under the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025, the definition of a fortnight for bank reporting was revised from alternate Fridays to the 15th and last calendar day of a month.
- India's total foreign exchange reserves comprise Foreign Currency Assets, Gold, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and Reserve Position in the International Monetary Fund.
- Foreign Currency Assets exclude SDR holdings of the Reserve Bank of India, investments in bonds issued by IIFC (UK), amounts lent under SAARC and ACU currency swap arrangements, and RBI's contribution to funding of Nexus Global Payments.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
Components of India's Foreign Exchange Reserves and exclusions under Foreign Currency Assets (FCA).
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Impact of standardizing statistical reporting periods under the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 on monetary policy formulation.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to India's Foreign Exchange Reserves and banking reporting frameworks under the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), consider the following statements: 1. Foreign Currency Assets (FCAs) exclude SDR holdings of the RBI as well as investments in bonds issued by IIFC (UK). 2. Amounts lent under SAARC and Asian Clearing Union (ACU) currency swap arrangements are included under the computation of Foreign Currency Assets. 3. As per the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025, the reporting fortnight for banks was revised from alternate Fridays to the 15th and last calendar day of a month. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- [A] 1 and 2 only
- [B] 1 and 3 only
- [C] 2 and 3 only
- [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Foreign Currency Assets (FCAs) exclude SDR holdings, investments in IIFC (UK) bonds, amounts lent under SAARC and ACU currency swap arrangements, and RBI's contribution to Nexus Global Payments. Statement 2 is incorrect because amounts lent under SAARC and ACU currency swap arrangements are explicitly excluded from FCAs. Under the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025, the definition of a reporting fortnight was changed from alternate Fridays to the 15th and last calendar day of a month.
🏛️ 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.