Monday, September 2, 2013

Two scams, identical roots

..............It was one man's high jinks, but others, including foreign banks, were playing a similar game with him - they were taking advantage of the Reserve Bank of India's laxity as the regulator and supervisor. (The role remains blurred even today when it comes to consumer finance issues.) It was more a banking scam than a stock market scam...............

ICICI Bank organises Coin Exchange Mela

......The ceremony was inaugurated by M.K.Rastogi, Assistant General Manager, RBI and Rita Maheshwari, Manager, RBI...........

Soon, ATMs will be more than mere cash dispensers

......The operators of these ATMs, or Automated Teller Machines, will have tie-ups with multiple banks and, apart from regular features, will also offer value-added services such as remittances, air, train and bus ticketing, and third party advertisements. This means that these players, which include Tata Communications Payment Services (TCPSL), Muthoot Finance and SREI, will act as financial services kiosks and make money from services beyond mere cash withdrawal. And that’s the way RBI has envisioned them — one-stop shops for major financial transactions............

Is it money, honey?

.........So, next time you hand me a currency note and I pull out my magnifying glass and ultraviolet torch, do not be surprised. I'm just checking. After all, who knows what a counterfeiter or one who has been cheated by a counterfeiter really looks like!

RBI says no plan to monetise temple gold

................“There have been some news stories in the media in the past couple of days about the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) discussing or considering options of converting idle gold, including that available with temple trusts, into bullion,” an email from an RBI spokeswoman read, adding, “The Reserve Bank clarifies that no such proposal is under its consideration at this juncture.”.........

Gold Standard



It was reported in the media during July 2012 that, observing that gold imports are contributing substantially to India's current account deficit (CAD), an RBI panel was looking into the aspects of devising some alternative routes like bringing out the gold which already exists in the country. The panel was also to examine whether domestic stock of gold can be brought into the mainstream by devising appropriate financial instruments.
People’s emotional attachment to gold in metal form will come down only if the government is able to infuse confidence about the effectiveness of ‘paper gold’ (someone corrected me recently, it should be ‘electronic gold’!) as a store of value with easy liquidity. Awareness should also be created about the loss involved in abuse of gold for show-off purposes like gold-plating of roofs, statues and flag-masts or even in frequent re-making of ornaments.
India has every reason to unearth and put to productive use, the country’s gold stock scattered and hidden in households, religious institutions, moneylenders’ lockers and with people who conceal their wealth for various reasons. Present move, if accompanied with standardization of gold stock (with institutions and individuals) is capable of saving India from many of its forex-related problems.
Reports indicate that RBI could at last persuade GOI to understand the significance of the domestic treasure of gold lying idle in the country and though the process is slow and reluctant, the powers that be is waking up. If we are able to put at least some 10 per cent of the domestic stock of gold to productive use in the next 5 years, the country’s gold import bill will come down by 50 per cent. This can be achieved by fast-tracking the initiatives for:
• Introducing gold-backed financial instruments which are not dependent on imported gold (The tiny instruments now available in the form of Gold ETFs and gold coins are indirectly dependent on import and have not attracted significant investor-interest)
• Bringing a portion of household gold stock by offering some instrument like ‘Gold Bond’ backed by government guarantee to return solid standard gold at the time of redemption which could be, say, after 10 years and a small return in the interregnum 
• Infrastructure, technology support and linkages for gold refining and certification facilities of international standard
RBI and GOI could consider even deficit financing for procurement of domestic gold as this could be the beginning of partial ‘Gold Standard’. 

- M.G.Warrier

Banks approving loans on condition borrowers don't buy gold

........Banks have placed the condition that borrowers should not use even personal loans to buy gold, a senior official of a private sector bank said. The measures follow directions from the Reserve Bank of India to banks and NBFCs that are aimed at reining in demand for the yellow metal. The RBI and the government have taken steps to curb demand for gold after imports of the metal widened the current account deficit. As per existing guidelines, no advances can be granted by banks for the purchase of gold in any form, including primary gold, gold bullion, gold jewellery, gold coins, units of gold exchange traded funds and units of gold mutual funds..................

The price of not stocking forex

.........Looking back, the one cardinal error committed during Duvvuri Subbarao's tenure as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor has been not to sufficiently stock up the country’s foreign exchange reserves when the situation permitted it. This is unlike previous Governors, especially Y.V. Reddy and Bimal Jalan, who utilised every available opportunity to add to the reserves, which could serve as insurance against speculative attacks mounted on the rupee. The absence of such a war-chest has never been felt as much as now, when all that the Government and the RBI can do is to watch from the sidelines as the rupee is being subjected to an unprecedented bear attack.............

No question of going to IMF: Rajan

........Rajan, who will bid farewell to North Block this week and take over as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on September 4, said there were enough dollars with India to deal with the situation. “There is no question of that. We have enough reserves,” he said...............

Mayaram meets treasury heads of foreign banks

.........“What is significant is that the RBI does not have any control on this market. In the RBI’s annual report released recently, it has admitted that there is deeper correlation between the rupee movement in the onshore and offshore market...........

Montek Singh Ahluwalia rules out approaching IMF over economic woes

............"Our current economic situation does not warrant it. I do not anticipate it in the near future," Ahluwalia said, adding "India's reserves are comfortable." Ahluwalia was asked to comment at a news conference whether India would seek outside help like approaching the IMF for assistance against the backdrop of a wave of poor economic news for the country........

Why Sri Lanka is losing sleep over the Rupee

KOLKATA: Sri Lanka's central bankers are probably more worried about the accelerated fall in the Indian rupee in the past four months than the Reserve Bank of India Governor Duvvuri Subbarao. And that's good news. The worst performance of the Indian rupee in Asia Pacific this year at 16% depreciation to the US dollar is probably doing more good in boosting exports than the numerous policies from the government...........

The Indian economic mess

The Indian economy is in a deep mess. It has lost momentum, retail inflation remains high and the rupee has tumbled. Despondency has replaced the all-round hubris of the boom years. It is worth examining what went wrong in the first place. Here is the story in 10 charts...........

PM, Chidu and Montek ‘ failed’ economists: BJP

....While holding the prime minister responsible for “ unabated slide of rupee”, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi also termed Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia as “ failures”. “ As far as economy is concerned, Manmohan, Montek and Chidambaram have failed........

Earn at least 6L/yr for SBI car loan

The State Bank of India (SBI) has tightened the eligibility criteria for its car loans and will now extend finance to only those earning over Rs 6 lakh per annum. The bank has cited inflation as the reason behind the move, but, sources say, that the bank is being cautious given the slowdown in the economy.............. 

Read - TOI

Melwyn Rego elevated to Deputy MD of IDBI Bank

Melwyn Rego has been appointed by the Government as Deputy Managing Director of IDBI Bank. He took charge on August 30. Prior to his elevation, Rego was Executive Director............

Samvidhan Chowk: The Jantar Mantar of Nagpur

.........Former traffic commissioner Jeevraj Dabhade, however, opines that there should be certain designated places in the city for such protests but he does not deem RBI square fit for the position. "Several times, the number of people who turn out for such dos are much more than the given number as many join in impromptu. Since it is flanked by many important government offices, RBI and the railway station, RBI square is a vulnerable and sensitive spot..............

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Five years of leading the Reserve Bank - Looking ahead by looking back: D Subbarao

.........When I was appointed Governor of the Reserve Bank in 2008, I went to call on the Prime Minister before I took charge. A man of few words as we all know, he told me one thing that stuck in my mind: “Subbarao, you are moving from long experience in the IAS into the Reserve Bank. In the Reserve Bank, one runs the risk of losing touch with the real world. With your mind space fully taken up by issues like interest rates, liquidity traps and monetary policy transmission, it is easy to forget that monetary policy is also about reducing hunger and malnutrition, putting children in school, creating jobs, building roads and bridges and increasing the productivity of our farms and firms. Keep your ear close to the ground.” In the five years that I have been at the Reserve Bank, I have followed this wise counsel to the best of my ability..................

Reading Subbarao right

...........But never so publicly! Or so bluntly! Though the RBI reports and policy statements are public documents, few care to read them. Most people, including many commentators content themselves with focusing on the interest rate and other policy changes. As a result when the governor raised issues of central bank autonomy, better co-ordination between fiscal and monetary policy and bemoaned the government’s failure to utilize the window of opportunity created by the period of abundant global liquidity, to mention just a few, it was seen as a frontal attack on the government...............

Read..........

3 pols x 3 wonks= ?

..................D Subbarao responded later to the criticisms about his record as central bank governor. He was man enough to admit that he may have got it wrong on monetary policy, but he also gave a parting shot to the government and specifically the finance minister. But surely, Dr Subbarao cannot pass the buck entirely; he has to bear some of the responsibility for allowing the rupee to stay too long at a level that priced out exports and caused the gaping current account deficit for which he blames the government.........

The slowdown far exceeded anything that could be attributed to a tight monetary policy: Subir Gokarn

.......You have to compress demand because the excess demand is driving inflation and you would expect some slowdown in growth as a result of the monetary policy stance. However, the slowdown we saw far exceeded anything that could be attributed to a high interest rate regime and the point the Governor was making was that a number of factors that had an impact on growth were outside the control of the Reserve Bank. Therefore, it is unfair to attribute the entire decline to tight monetary policy alone...........

Subbarao pushes case for Producer Price Index to gauge price momentum

...........“As far as inflation measures go, the problem in India is not of deficit, but of excess. Ours is a tale of many indices,” said Dr. Subbarao, while speaking on ‘RBI’s Policy Making Conceptual and Empirical Issues’, at the 7th Statistics Day conference of RBI here........

RBI says role of statistics has increased manifold

......."The role of statistics in terms of data needs, surveys and sophisticated analysis in central bank policy formulation has increased manifold with every passing crisis. Policy issues have become more complex and information and analytical requirements have turned more demanding," said Urjit Patel, Deputy Governor, RBI in Mumbai. According to Patel there is a continual need for upgrading researchers knowledge and skills in order to address current issues...........

New CPI narrow for monetary policy decisions: Subbarao

........Posing the question if there is a case for shifting focus to the CPI, Dr. Subbarao said even in case of such an eventuality, the central bank will not abandon the wholesale price index (WPI) as a tool to monitor producer prices. “My own view is we will not, because analytically we need to develop a series of producer price indices that will help us gauge how price momentum builds up in the economy.”...........

Statistics in RBI’s Policy Making Conceptual and Empirical Issues

Inaugural address by Dr. Duvvuri Subbarao, Governor, Reserve Bank of India at the 7th Statistics Day Conference of RBI, Mumbai on August 30, 2013


...The second conceptual challenge I want to address relates to the measurement of two important macroeconomic variables in the context of monetary policy: potential output and threshold inflation. Understanding the divergence of actual output and inflation from potential output and threshold inflation respectively is critical for the formulation of monetary policy. Reliable estimates of these variables are necessary for formulating the central bank reaction function in the form of Taylor type rules for setting interest rates..........

RBI sees need to develop database for housing finance

.........“Keeping in view the demand-supply gap, our favourable demography, increasing urbanisation and growth prospects, the demand for housing finance will continue to grow. At the same time risks also arise to household and bank balance sheets with fluctuation in prices and changes in the business cycle. Hence, there is a need for developing a data base on housing finance,” said Deepak Mohanty, Executive Director, RBI in Mumbai.............

Need efficient bankruptcy law in corporate bond market - R.Gandhi

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India needs an efficient bankruptcy law in the corporate bond market, Reserve Bank of India Executive Director R. Gandhi said on Friday. There is a need to encourage public issuance of bonds, he said, adding that the private placement of bonds should be restricted.............

How Canara Bank victimised borrower of an education loan

......This looks like a  clear case of error on part of the Bank official/s that sanctioned the education loan or Rs15 lakh without knowing if there could be any ceiling limit. If Parag was told of this limit at the outset, he would have arranged for the shortfall from other sources. But as a result of this mistake, he was being penalised and forced to pay excess interest at the rate of 5% on outstanding amount of over Rs10 lakh. All this while, he was paying regularly his equated monthly instalments (EMIs) without any delays or disruption.............

A bid to improve the image




Nani Palkhiwala Memorial lecture will be remembered in Indian financial sector, not much for the highlights like the ‘joke’ on P Chidambaram about the FM’s monologue about ‘walking alone’, which were given wide coverage by the media, but for its content on the relevance of RBI in the present Indian context. This speech may put a lid on any chance of Dr Subbarao shifting to Delhi or getting nominated to International Organisations like some of his predecessors. But, the task which Dr Subbarao took upon himself, namely, putting forth a strong defence for whatever has been done by RBI during his tenure and setting an agenda for his successor, will improve the image of the central bank which has been made a whipping boy by self-styled analysts and certain hostile individuals in the Finance Ministry. 

- M.G.Warrier

We feel neglected

My View on "Introspection on pension updation - P. R. R. NAYAR...": 
P R R Nayar’s letter reflects the emotions of many retirees who feel neglected by the institution. The previous letter addressed to Governor on the subject had given the entire ..........

RBI Governor opens his mind - Dr.T.V.Gopalakrishnan

......... Former CAG Mr Vinod Rai and the Governor Dr Subbarao have created a new history and shown to the world as  to how  the Public Institutions should  be run  and deliver the goods expected of them as per the laws of  the land. This is the real strength of the economy.

PM opens race for SBI top job to four managing directors

.......Given the earlier requirement of at least two years of remaining service to be considered for chairman's post, only Arundhati Bhattacharya was eligible for the top job at the country's largest bank. To widen the field, the finance ministry sought an exemption for A Krishna Kumar, another SBI MD. The move comes at a time when the government has decided to give a fixed three-year term to the next SBI chairman, who will take over from Pratip Chaudhuri, who retires in a little over a month............

Chavan to meet RBI governor designate on Sept 6

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan will meet the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor designate Raghuram Rajan on September 6 after he takes charge of the office. "I will discuss issues relating to rupee volatility with new Governor." Chavan announced his proposed meeting with Rajan during his interactive meeting with Ficci national executive committee members here today............

'15,653 complaints against pvt banks for excess levy of fees'

.......The Minister said that a number of steps have been taken by the government as well as the RBI to resolve the complaints of customers, expeditiously, including those on excess charges. "In order to improve customer service in banks, majority of recommendations of the Damodaran Committee have been implemented by the banks. A working group has also been constituted by the RBI to review and update the Banking Ombudsman scheme,"..........

RBI quiz competitions

The zonal finals of the inter-school quiz competitions organised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will be held in Mumbai. Earlier, competitions for students of class 9, 10, 11 and 12 were held on August 27 at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Begumpet. .............

Central Bank of India Executive Director receives ` RBI Rajbhasha Shield’

Central Bank of India Executive Director Animesh Chouhan receiving RBI Rajbhasha Certificate from Reserve Bank of India Governor Dr D Subbarao, flanked by Dr Urjit R. Patel, Dy Governor of RBI, R Gandhi, ED of RBI, Narendra Singh, GM (Rajbhasha), Dr Usha Gupta, Asstt GM (Rajbhasha), B Subbarao, Asstt. GM, Mahesh Mishra, Senior Manager (Rajbhasha) and Hitendra Dhumal, Manager ( Rajbhasha). Central Bank of India had been awarded the second prize in linguistic region ‘ C’ and third prize in linguistic region ‘ A’ by RBI for the best implementation of Official Language Policy of Govt of India for 2011- 12 in Mumbai.

Don't donate to trusts where directors hold post: RBI to UCBs

..........."...UCBs are, with immediate effect, prohibited from giving donations to Trusts and Institutions, where directors, and/or their relatives hold position or are interested, even within the permissible ceiling of 1% of the published profits of the bank for the previous year," RBI said in a notification..................

Immunizing against exclusion

....There’s no doubt that Indian policy acknowledges the value of financial inclusion (FI). As early as 2005, the RBI mandated banks to offer a basic 'no frills' account (NFA) that would serve as a gateway for the excluded into the formal financial system. But the reality is that almost 90 percent of the NFAs opened till date is estimated to be dormant...........

Is Indian banking sector ready to take that leap?

As the rupee continues to hit new lows, economists and corporate honchos continue to predict deteriorating economic performance and politicians continue to fight over reforms like there is no tomorrow, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended revamping the banking structure to further strengthen the backbone of our economy..................

Read.........

Reserve Bank of India revisits ‘Small and Local’

......Notwithstanding India’s past attempt with Local Area Banks and Urban Cooperative Banks, it refers to similar recommendations of the Committee on Financial Inclusion (Rangarajan Committee, 2008) as well as the Committee on Financial Sector Reforms (Raghuram Rajan Committee, 2009), and puts forward the idea that such small localised banks have a pivotal role to play in financial inclusion and that this must be revisited as an important policy imperative. While specific questions need to be tackled, such as .........


RBI allows premature encashment of 8% Savings (Taxable) Bonds

The Reserve Bank today permitted premature encashment of 8 percent Savings (Taxable) Bonds for individual investors who are 60 years and above. This facility is after a minimum lock-in period of three years from the date of issue, RBI said in a statement...........

Food programme ill-timed: Bimal Jalan

..........The current macroeconomic situation is very distressing as of now. India’s GDP growth is low, CPI s high, current account deficit (CAD) is high, fiscal deficit is high, and you are seeing there is no confidence in the market.” His comments come within days of the RBI in its annual report raising concerns about the viability of the Food Security law.

Read.......

Of dollars and dahi

.......On the day that marked the birth of Lord Krishna, the organizer of one of the several dahi handis in the city, where a pot of curd and cash hung atop buildings is broken by revellers forming a human pyramid, ensured that the prize money was in dollars rather than rupees. The festival is now heavily politicized, so the man was making a political point: people are losing faith in the Indian currency..................

Rupee-smart holidays

.......So how to choose an overseas holiday with the rupee in free-fall? It's raining discounts and deals as tour and travel companies are partnering with hotels and airlines to offer holidays that fit the budget. They are leveraging 'upswings' and stability in the rupee against currencies of specific countries to offer significant savings. "With stability seen in Australian and South African currencies vis-a-vis the Indian rupee for the past few months, a strong demand is seen for holidays to these two countries from India," ........

Govt plans to set up bullion bank to mobilise idle gold

................ a proposal is under active consideration of the government of india and the RBI to set up a Bullion Bank or the Bullion Corporation of India (BCI) through which buying and selling of gold as well as accepting gold as a deposit and lending it to jewellers could be undertaken, said the sources familiar with the development...............

It’s the interest rate, stupid

.............Potentially, there are two sources of grief for an economy—fiscal and monetary policy. Regarding fiscal policy, several or most observers (including the outgoing RBI governor, Dr Subbarao) agree that UPA-2 regime has been responsible for possibly the worst fiscal policy that India has endured, and I would hazard a guess that outside of Venezuela, possibly the worst fiscal policy of any modern economy. And the nightmare just does not end.........

Sinking equity, currency markets show a braking Indian economy

.............Partly, it is monetary policy that tripped Chidambaram's efforts over the past year. In much of his five-year term, RBI Governor D. Subbarao, due to retire on September 4, single mindedly waged a war against inflation. Questions are now being raised on the pace of interest rates hikes and whether his stance on inflation, widely seen more due to India's supply constraints and less a function of excess money sloshing around, was the optimal one..............

Friday, August 30, 2013

D Subbarao: P. Chidambaram will one day say 'thank God RBI exists'

................"I do hope Finance Minister Chidambaram will one day say, 'I am often frustrated by the Reserve Bank, so frustrated that I want to go for a walk, even if I have to walk alone. But thank God, the Reserve Bank exists',.........................


Bidding Farewell, Subbarao Hints Boss isn’t Always Right

....“An autonomous and apolitical central bank is a delicate arrangement too, and will work only if the government respects the autonomy of the central bank, and the central bank itself stays within its mandate, delivers on that mandate and renders accountability for the outcomes of its policies and actions,” he said.  Subbarao said the government should mind its business of governing and leave the markets to regulators, unless there is a crisis.

Red - ET

Subbarao's parting shot

..............“Perhaps, we should institute an arrangement whereby the Governor goes before the Parliament Standing Committee on Finance twice a year to present a report on the Reserve Bank’s policies and outcomes and answer questions from the members of the Committee. “This will not only secure the accountability structure but also protect the Reserve Bank from any potential assaults on its autonomy,”.........

Subbarao admits monetary tightening should have started sooner

...“With the benefit of hindsight, I must admit in all honesty that the economy would have been better served if our monetary tightening had started sooner and had been faster and stronger,” Subbarao said in his last public speech as the 22nd Governor of the RBI, as he delivered the 10th Nani A Palkhivala memorial lecture here this evening. However, he said he had been taking the so-called “baby-steps” in real-time and not in hindsight. ”Because we had a classic V-shaped recovery from the 2008 crisis, that growth had not dipped in the Lehman crisis year as low as had been feared, and that growth in the subsequent two years was stronger than earlier thought.”.......

Corporate-run banks can serve economy better: D Subbarao

MUMBAI: Defending the decision to allow corporates to enter the banking fray, outgoing Governor D Subbarao today said as a knowledge institution, the Reserve Bank needs to change with times, and asserted that corporates will serve the economy better by entering the field. "We believe that world has changed, India has changed and banking has changed," Subbarao said, explaining the rationale to allow corporates into banking, .............

FM says he had said the same as Subbarao on economic woes


NEW DELHI: Finance Minister P Chidambaram today reacted to RBI Governor D Subbarao's comments on the reasons for the current economic woes, saying this is what he had said a couple of days ago. "This is no different from what I said day before yesterday," he told reporters here when asked to comment on Subbarao's criticism of government policies leading to a slowdown in the economy. ........

Shantaram slams banks for hounding mining-affected

PANAJI: Member of the Consultative Committee on Finance, Shantaram Naik, has criticized the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)  and banking institutions for not coming to the rescue of mining-affected Goans.............

Linguistic inclusion....................



As a consultant- development finance, I have seen that bankers/ CSPs mention the terms 'Financial Inclusion', Business Correspondents etc.,in english when they communicate with the prospective clients. So, I sent out a mail a couple of months back to a number of SLBC conveners to give me the translation in the local language of the term 'Financial Inclusion'. I am yet to receive any response from any of the SLBC conveners. Perhaps, the words of the present Governor may also fall on the deaf years of the bankers as he is on his way out and the bankers will be waiting for the new incumbent Dr Raghuram Rajan to reiterate the need for use of local languages in marketing financial inclusion among the rural people. 
- S.Santhanam

Elephant stops dancing



Economy on rocks, not necessarily, thinks the Finance Minister even when the Re breached 68. We are still at an inflexion point as Rupee is yet to touch the downslide to 70 a dollar, as predicted by Dr Tarapore a month and odd ago in the Business Line. The inflation differential between the two countries India and US has been steady over the last two decades at 3.6% notwithstanding the great recession since 2008. This exchange rate adjustment, that is largely market driven, need not be seen as a weakness of the economy. There is a large domestic economy, if carefully nursed, could reverse the trend though not in the immediate future. As TVG mentioned the root cause for the malaise lies in governance failure. We cannot very much alter our import basket governed by the crude oil that is rising, and edible oil whose consumption in India far outstrips the production necessitating its continuing import and the heavy capital equipment required for infrastructure sector, in the short run. In sluggish manufacturing sector intensity, expecting recovery in the short run would be a wild goose chase. If we look at the emerging economies’ trends ever since Ben Bernanke announced the QE programme of unwinding bond purchases, global GDP all along etching its hopes on them, now looks tamed at 2.1% even in 2013. Chinese economy, though sent some shivers at the beginning of the year, started quick recovery and would seem to be steady on stabilising and may be at 7.7% growth. Among the BRICS, the other major, Brazil is looking for World Football Cup to come to its rescue. It is down from 3.5% to 2.5%. Unfortunately, India does not have an event like the Commonwealth or world tournament to milk the opportunity.  After a long slumber on the policy front, India’s economic Czars announced a slew of reforms that would move like the wheels of Lord Jagannath’s chariot. They have been announced at a time when the sectors are not poised to respond. Now, the rating agencies that have been on a simmering hope would appear too keen to downgrade India’s sovereign rating. Although on some such hopefuls, the EIA predicted GDP growth at 6% for Asia and Afroasia (excluding Japan) in June 2013, is likely to shift it at 5.5-5.7%. Although the RBI in its Monetary Policy predicted a downtrend to settle at 5.5%, even the most optimistic projection does not now seem to cross 5%. The silver lining in the cloud of despair is that the NRI deposits are growing with the downfall of Re. Even in the backdrop of double digit consumer inflation index, domestic savings have not fallen yet; and the employment rate also remaining steady. The core sectors grew by 1% last month. Electricity generation showed improvement by 6.2% with the rise in hydel power backed by steady inflows in the command projects. More than average rain fall also predicts a hopeful growth of the farm sector. There is enough money rolling in rural areas still, thanks to the MNREGS and a few rounds of State elections that fuelled free money make a merry go-round. What is at danger, however, is the likely bourgeoning of fiscal deficit fuelled by the implementation agenda of Food Security Act 2013. The Centre’s expected funding of the order of Rs.900bn in 2013 on Food subsidies alone that has an embedded 40% leakage if we go by the CACP study, rings alarm bells of consequence. RBI’s Governor Subba Rao without mincing words said that the Act would ‘eat into the finances’; while the incumbent Raghuram Rajan said: “there is blatant flaw in the policy making.” While the tigers are mauled alright, the elephant would stop dancing and get chained in the cage. 
- - Yerram Raju *The author is an economist and Director, Development & Research Services, New Delhi.

Interest rates and economic activity - Deepak Mohanty

Speech by Mr Deepak Mohanty, Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India, to the 
Association of Financial Professionals of India (AFPI), Pune, 23 August 2013 

....Let me conclude. The Reserve Bank has been traversing a growth-inflation knife edge in recent years. The sluggish growth conditions in the last two years and the dampened investment activities warranted a shift in the stance of monetary policy. The extent of monetary policy easing, however, has been circumscribed by the persisting risks to inflation and the external balance position...............

Why not to follow " THE KARAM YOGA ".......


Our Dr.S.S.Tarapore ( Ex.Dy. Governor of R.B.I.) had in January,2013 forewarned fall in the value of Rupee. Now it is going from bad to worse. Short term & half hearted efforts by RBI & Govt. Of India have not been able to impact the rising graph so far.Not so appreciable measures having been taken by RBI is understandable mainly because of change of guards at Mint Road. Outgoing Governor Shri Subbarao & the incoming Shri Rajan both are shying away from their responsibility. Global events, presumptions & dangers do have impact on Rupee in addition to domestic reason of CAD, lack of WILL in G.O.I.to take appropriate & timely action,absence of dynamic leadership in Govt. & Opposition to steer clear of forex emergency converting into economic gloom. Instead of crying hoarse of foreign hand,Govt. needs to make overall efforts by involving Indian public as well who is much more patriotic than Its leaders. There is no dearth of capable Indians who will succeed in ensuring Rupee & India come out of the current malaise gloriously. The need is urgent all round actions to avert loss of Trust of the World . Considering the deplorable condition of Rupee, even after major OPERATION it may continue to remain in ICU for a few weeks as market never follows text book rules. Govt. need not ask us to have patience & make the nation fatalist. Let the nation no more suffer from inaction & apathy. Why not to follow " THE KARAM YOGA " propounded in Gita by Lord Krishna. 
- Ranjit Kumar Rehan, EXRBITES Group

Introspection on pension updation - P. R. R. NAYAR

......Yet, you magnanimously kept  hopes burning in their hearts through frequent promises of immediate deliverance – fire that would have warmed the progressively collapsing body walls of even the recently deceased pensioner............ 



Forwarded by L R Parab

(Re)Quest for VITALINFO

Dear Mangeshji,
Your e mail address was given to me by Shri B K Kamath. We are ex RBItes & have settled in Blore. We called on him yesterday & spent some time chatting about old times. Kindly include my e address in your contact list & please mail me VITALINFO which you shoot out each morn. Looking forward to receiving your news bulletin.
Regards, 
- Frank R Misquith 

DA merger in Banks-impact


Process of  merger of DA @ 4440 points as on 1-11-2011 – its impact on pay scales in Banks and RBI

As per the UFBU circular the IBA has agreed to merge the DA @4440 index numbers
(1960=100)in the basic pay. To understand the merger process let us keep  in mind;.......

Narayana Murthy quits as chairman of NPCI

......NPCI has been promoted under the aegis of Reserve Bank of India by various banks as a not-for-profit organization. It is known for providing the IT backbone that connects ATMs of all banks. NPCI is also the promoter of Rupay — the Indian alternative to Visa and MasterCard. A P Hota, MD, NPCI, confirmed that Murthy has submitted his resignation to the board following his taking charge at Infosys in keeping with good governance practices. "Murthy's biggest contribution to NPCI has been the introduction of best practices in corporate governance. We today follow all the best practices of a listed company," said Hota..............

Soon durable and difficult to counterfeit plastic notes in five cities

.... The study concluded that infected currency was a potential public health hazard, as pathogens could spread by circulating banknotes and recommended caution while handling them. Doctors concur this view. “The present currency notes can easily have a number of micro-organism on them which could make you fall sick, right for common cold, to influenza to various gastrointestinal infections,”..........

New Rs 5 coins to mark Vivekanada's 150th birth anniversary


The Reserve Bank will soon issue Rs 5 coins to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. "The government has minted the above coins (to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda), which the Reserve Bank of India will shortly put into circulation," RBI said in a press release.........


Bank customers in northeast reluctant to lodge complaints: Ombudsman

Guwahati, Aug 28 — Bank customers in northeast India are shying away from lodging complaints for their banking problems in spite of having ample facilities to do so, RBI's Banking Ombudsman for the region Anand Prakash said Wednesday. Giving the statistics, Prakash said the eight northeastern states together have registered only 708 cases against banks during fiscal 2011-12 compared to the 72,000 complaints received by the ombudsman nationwide.............

RBI ombudsman gets most cases against SBI in North East

....In 2012-13, RBI’s banking ombudsman division received a total of 807 complaints from seven states — Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. Out of that, 379 cases are against the SBI group, while 72 cases are against UBI and 49 cases are against UCO Bank. When asked about the private sector, RBI Banking Ombudsman secretary Awadhesh Kumar Kureel said, “Every year, we get highest number of complaints against HDFC and Axis Bank.”............

Rajan prescribes blending of imported and domestic coal to tackle supply crunch

...... “If they could be incentivised to blend as much imported coal as possible, it would free up domestic coal that could be allocated to other domestic producers. That freed coal has a multiplier effect because it can be used to blend with more imported coal, expanding the domestic production base substantially,”.............