Regional Rural Banks- Current Position

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What is the Current Number of RRBs in India?

Government of India initiated the process of structural consolidation, in consultation with State Governments and Sponsor Banks, by amalgamating RRBs of the same sponsor bank in the State in September 2005. Prior to the process of amalgamation, 196 RRBs sponsored by 27 SCBs and one State Cooperative Bank were operating in the country with a network of 14,484 branches spread over 523 districts as on March 31, 2005. Consequent upon the amalgamation, the number of RRBs declined to 82 operating in 26 States and in one Union Territory covering 619 districts with a network of 15,475 branches as on March 31, 2010.

Currently going on Reforms on RRBs:

CRAR & Recapitalization: Kelkar Committee Report

The Government had constituted a Committee in September 2009 (Chairman: Dr. K. C. Chakrabarty) to study the current level of Capital-to-Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of RRBs and to suggest a roadmap for achieving a CRAR of 9 per cent by March 2012. The Committee was also required to suggest the required capital structure for RRBs given their business level, so that their CRAR is sustainable and provides for future growth and compliance with regulatory requirements. The Committee submitted its Report to the Government of India on April 30, 2010. The Committee carried out an assessment of capital requirement for all 82 RRBs to enable them

to have CRAR of at least 7 per cent as on March 31, 2011 and at least 9 per cent from March 31, 2012 onwards. The recapitalization requirement would be Rs.2, 200 crore for 40 out of the 82 RRBs. This amount may be released in two installments, i.e., Rs.1,338 crore in 2010-11 and Rs.863 crore in 2011-12. The remaining 42 RRBs will not require any capital and will be able to maintain CRAR of at least 9 per cent as on March 31, 2012 and thereafter on their own.

Technological Upgradation: G. Sriniwasan Committee

In order to prepare RRBs to adopt appropriate technology and migrate to Core Banking Solutions (CBS), a Working Group was constituted by the Reserve Bank (Chairman: Shri G. Srinivasan) for technology up-gradation of RRBs. The report, inter alia, set September 2011 as the target date for all RRBs to move towards CBS. It was also stipulated that all branches of RRBs opened after September 2009 to be CBS compliant from day one. As per the status report received from sponsor banks, 22 RRBs have implemented CBS in full and for the remaining 60 RRBs, CBS is under implementation (September 2010).