A banks total exposure, including both fund based and non-fund based, to capital market in all forms covering its direct investment in equity shares, convertible bonds and debentures and units of equity oriented mutual funds; Advances against shared to individuals for investment in equity shares (including IPOs), bonds and debentures, units of equity-oriented mutual funds and secured and unsecured advances to stockbrokers and guarantees issued on behalf of stockbrokers and market makers should not exceed 5% of its total outstanding advances as on March 31 of the previous year (including Commercial Paper). Within the above ceiling, bank’s direct investment should not exceed 20 per cent of its networth. For computing the ceiling on exposure to capital market, the bank’s direct investment in shares will be calculated at cost price of the shares

Ans: Registered CICs with assets < Rs.500 crore shall follow the asset classification norm as specified in the Non-Systemically Important Non-Banking Financial (Non-Deposit accepting or holding) Companies Prudential Norms (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2015 and those with assets >= Rs.500 crore shall follow the asset classification norm applicable to NBFCs with assets > = Rs. 500 crore as specified in the Systemically Important Non-Banking Financial (Non-Deposit accepting or holding) Companies Prudential Norms (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2015.

Banknotes returned from circulation are received at the Issue Offices of the Reserve Bank of India. The Reserve Bank of India, inter alia, uses highly sophisticated Currency Verification & Processing Systems (CVPS) machines and Shredding and Briquetting Systems (SBS) machines to verify these notes for genuineness, arithmetical accuracy and segregation of notes into fit for reissue and destruction of soiled (unfit) notes."

The liquid assets securities can be lodged with one bank branch only and at one place only. However, the company has the discretion now to keep such securities with a bank branch either at the place of its registered office or at another place of its choice after taking prior approval of the concerned Regional Office of RBI.

Answer: The sale/ maturity proceeds (net of taxes) of the securities may be remitted outside India or credited to the foreign currency account or a Special Non-resident Rupee Account of the FVCI.

Yes. LSF is applicable for non-submission of each Form ECB 2, including Nil returns.

Effective from April 24, 2004, NBFCs cannot accept deposits from NRIs except deposits by debit to NRO account of NRI provided such amount does not represent inward remittance or transfer from NRE/FCNR (B) account. However, the existing NRI deposits can be renewed.

No. The Scheme is designed to facilitate only Non-competitive participation (i.e., bids without choosing your own price) by individuals. However, if one desires to place a competitive bid, he/she may contact a Bank/Primary Dealer/any other authorized institution.

No. Banks are prohibited from making any short sales of shares.

All Bank notes including Mahatma Gandhi (New) series notes with writing or colour stains on them continue to be legal tender, provided they are decipherable. Such notes can be deposited or exchanged in any bank branch.

However, a claim in respect of bank notes which carries any extrinsic words or visible representations intended to convey or capable of conveying any message of a political or religious character or furthering the interest of any person or entity will be rejected as per Reserve Bank of India (Note Refund) Rules, 2009 [As amended by Reserve Bank of India (Note Refund) Amendment Rules, 2018].

A. The securities held on behalf of and NBFC, in a bank’s Constituents’ SGL Account can be reckoned towards compliance of requirements of Section 45IB. The securities are required to be deposited with one bank branch and at one place only for the purpose of adequate control. Hence, if an NBFC holds securities with its designated bank branch in its Constituents’ SGL Account, it would be necessary for the company to lodge its physical securities also with the same bank branch.

Ans: Registered CICs with assets < Rs. 500 crore shall maintain standard asset provisioning of 0.25% as specified in the Non-Systemically Important Non-Banking Financial (Non-Deposit accepting or holding) Companies Prudential Norms (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2015 and those with assets >= Rs.500 crore shall maintain standard asset provisioning of 0.40% which would be applicable as specified in the Systemically Important Non-Banking Financial (Non-Deposit accepting or holding) Companies Prudential Norms (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2015.

Answer: Investment Vehicle is an entity registered and regulated under relevant regulations framed by SEBI or any other authority designated for the purpose. For the purpose of Schedule 8 of FEMA 20(R), an Investment Vehicle is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) governed by the SEBI (REITs) Regulations, 2014, an Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIt) governed by the SEBI (InvIts) Regulations, 2014 and an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) governed by the SEBI (AIFs) Regulations, 2012. It does not include a Venture Capital Fund registered under the erstwhile SEBI (Venture Capital Funds) Regulations, 1996.

Yes. Extant norms permit both ECB principal and interest to be converted into equity subject to applicable conditions as given under Paragraph 7.4 of the Master Direction No. 5 on ‘External Commercial Borrowings, Trade Credits and Structured Obligations dated March 26, 2019.

No. Co-operative Credit Societies cannot accept deposits from general public. They can accept deposits only from their members within the limit specified in their bye laws.

Answer: Investment made by an Investment Vehicle into an Indian company or an LLP will be indirect foreign investment for the investee company or the LLP, as the case may be, if either the Sponsor or the Manager or the Investment Manager (i) is not owned and not controlled by resident Indian citizens or (ii) is owned or controlled by persons resident outside India.

No fee will be charged for opening and maintaining the Retail Direct Gilt (RDG) account with RBI. No fee will be charged by RBI at the time of submission of bids in primary auctions. However, applicable payment gateway charges will have to be borne by the investor while funding his/her purchases.

The bills covering payment of electricity charges, customs duty, hire purchase/ lease rental installments, sale of securities and other types of financial accommodation should not be discounted by banks.

A suspected forged note, counterfeit note or fake note is any note which does not possess the characteristics of genuine Indian currency note.

Most of the companies are unitary entities. They function from the place of their Registered Office. Some of the large sized companies as also some others may intend to keep the securities at metropolitan centres for operational advantages. The place where the securities are held could be outside the jurisdiction of the concerned Regional Office of RBI because the jurisdictional areas are decided on the basis of place of location of the Registered Office of the companies. In such cases, it is imperative for the Regional Offices to know the place where the securities are being kept.