The Reserve Bank of India has formally published amendments to the Reserve Bank of India Scheduled Banks’ Regulations, 1951, applicable to Scheduled Cooperative Banks, in the Gazette of India. The notification, issued on December 12, 2025, came into force on December 15, 2025 and has now been placed in the public domain through Gazette publication.
The amendments do not introduce any fresh regulatory requirements but give formal effect to procedural changes already in operation. They primarily rationalise statutory reporting norms and align cooperative bank reporting timelines with the broader scheduled banking framework.
Under the revised regulations, statutory returns in Form ‘A’ and Form ‘B’ are now required to be prepared based on the last day of the fortnight, replacing the earlier references to reporting as of Friday or alternate Friday. Where the last day of a fortnight is a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, returns will reflect figures of the preceding working day but will be deemed to relate to the relevant fortnight.
The updated forms also remove outdated institutional references and incorporate current development financial institutions, including NABARD, National Housing Bank (NHB), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) and the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). Funds received from these institutions are required to be reported separately to enhance clarity in regulatory disclosures.
Additionally, a provision prescribing the format of certain monthly returns has been omitted as part of the rationalisation of reporting requirements.
The Gazette publication provides formal statutory backing to these amendments and does not alter existing rights or obligations of Scheduled Cooperative Banks. The changes form part of a continuing effort to streamline regulatory reporting and ensure uniformity across the banking system.
