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RBI releases advisory to the banks in reference to the Supreme Court Judgment of 23 March 2021


The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued Advisory to all commercial banks, (including Small Finance Banks, Local Area Banks and Regional Rural Banks), Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks/State Co-operative Banks/ District Central Co-operative Banks, All-India Financial Institutions, and Non-Banking Financial Companies (including Housing Finance Companies) for Asset Classification and Income Recognition following the expiry of Covid-19 regulatory package.


The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has pronounced its judgement in the matter of Small Scale Industrial Manufacturers Association versus UOI & Others and other connected matters on 23 March 2021. In this connection the Reserve Bank of India advised as under:


I. Refund/adjustment of ‘interest on interest’

All lending institutions1 shall immediately put in place a Board-approved policy to refund/adjust the ‘interest on interest’ charged to the borrowers during the moratorium period, i.e. 1 March 2020 to 31 August 2020 in conformity with the above judgement. In order to ensure that the above judgement is implemented uniformly in letter and spirit by all lending institutions, methodology for calculation of the amount to be refunded/adjusted for different facilities shall be finalised by the Indian Banks Association (IBA) in consultation with other industry participants/bodies, which shall be adopted by all lending institutions.


The above reliefs shall be applicable to all borrowers, including those who had availed of working capital facilities during the moratorium period, irrespective of whether moratorium had been fully or partially availed, or not availed, in terms of the circulars DOR.No. BP.BC.47/21.04.048/2019-20 dated 27 March 2020 and DOR.No. BP.BC.71/21.04.048/2019-20 dated 23 May 2020 (“Covid-19 Regulatory Package”).


Lending institutions shall disclose the aggregate amount to be refunded/adjusted in respect of their borrowers based on the above reliefs in their financial statements for the year ending 31 March 2021.


II. Asset Classification

Asset classification of borrower accounts by all lending institutions following the above judgment shall continue to be governed by the extant instructions as clarified below:

  • In respect of accounts which were not granted any moratorium in terms of the Covid19 Regulatory Package, asset classification shall be as per the criteria laid out in the Master Circular - Prudential norms on Income Recognition, Asset Classification and Provisioning pertaining to Advances dated July 1, 2015 or other relevant instructions as applicable to the specific category of lending institutions (IRAC Norms).

  • In respect of accounts which were granted moratorium in terms of the Covid19 Regulatory Package, the asset classification for the period from March 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020 shall be governed in terms of the circular DOR.No.BP.BC.63/21.04.048/2019-20 dated April 17, 2020, read with circular DOR.No.BP.BC.71/21.04.048/2019-20 dated May 23, 2020. For the period commencing September 1, 2020, asset classification for all such accounts shall be as per the applicable IRAC Norms.


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