Ans: 50%

Ans. Individuals can avail of foreign exchange facility for the following purposes within the LRS limit of USD 2,50,000 on financial year basis:

1. Private visits to any country (except Nepal and Bhutan)

2. Gift or donation

3. Going abroad for employment

4. Emigration

5. Maintenance of close relatives abroad

6. Travel for business, or attending a conference or specialised training or for meeting expenses for meeting medical expenses, or check-up abroad, or for accompanying as attendant to a patient going abroad for medical treatment/ check-up

7. Expenses in connection with medical treatment abroad

8. Studies abroad

9. Any other current account transaction which is not covered under the definition of current account in FEMA 1999.

The AD bank may undertake the remittance transaction without RBI’s permission for all residual current account transactions which are not prohibited/ restricted transactions under Schedule I, II or III of FEM (CAT) Rules, 2000, as amended or are defined in FEMA 1999. It is for the AD to satisfy themselves about the genuineness of the transaction, as hitherto.

Ans: Following is the step-wise flow of NEFT transaction.

Step-1: An individual / firm / corporate willing to transfer funds through NEFT can use the internet / mobile banking facility offered by his / her bank for initiating online funds transfer request. The remitter has to provide details of beneficiary such as, name of the beneficiary, name of the bank branch where the beneficiary has an account, IFSC of the beneficiary bank branch, account type and account number, etc. for addition of the beneficiary to his / her internet / mobile banking module. Upon successful beneficiary addition, the remitter can initiate online NEFT funds transfer by authorising debit to his / her account. Alternatively, the remitter can also visit his / her bank branch for initiating NEFT funds transfer through branch / off-line mode. The customer has to fill-in the beneficiary details in NEFT application form available at the bank branch and authorise the branch to debit to his / her account to the extent of the amount requested in NEFT application form.

Step-2: The originating bank prepares a message and sends the message to its pooling centre, also called the NEFT Service Centre.

Step-3: The pooling centre forwards the message to the NEFT Processing Centre, operated by the RBI, to be included for the next available batch.

Step-4: The Processing Centre sorts the funds transfer transactions beneficiary bank-wise and prepares accounting entries to receive funds from the originating banks (debit) and give the funds to the beneficiary banks (credit). Thereafter, bank-wise remittance messages are forwarded to the beneficiary banks through their pooling centre (NEFT Service Centre).

Step-5: The beneficiary banks receive the inward remittance messages from the Processing Centre and pass on the credit to the beneficiary customers’ accounts.

Ans: Only those LSPs which have an interface with the borrowers would need to appoint a nodal Grievance Redressal Officer. However, it may be reiterated that the RE shall remain responsible for ensuring resolution of complaints arising out of actions of all LSPs engaged by them.

Ans: It is clarified that treatment advised in the relevant clause (revised clause 77A) for investment by a transferor in SRs backed by stressed loans transferred by it are applicable to all SR investments outstanding as on the date of issuance of the MD. However, lenders other than specified at clause 3(a) & (e) shall be guided by the proviso added to the clause 77A.

Ans: IIBs classified under AFS and HFT may be valued at clean price quoted in the market at the time of acquisition. At the time of subsequent mark to market, the clean price quoted in the market as available from trades/quotes or clean price provided by FIMMDA may be treated as market value. Once this market value has been determined, the standard accounting procedures as applicable to HFT/AFS may be applied.

Ans. When a person is made aware of the contravention of the provisions of FEMA, 1999 by the Reserve Bank or any other statutory authority or the auditors or by any other means, she/he may apply for compounding. One can also make an application for compounding, suo mo-to, on becoming aware of the contravention.

Ans. No. In terms of paragraph 9.1.6 of these Directions, children (including minor) are not eligible for additional interest admissible to deceased member of the bank’s staff.

(a) Agency banks are requested to seek guidance from respective Pension Sanctioning Authorities regarding the process to be followed for recovery of excess pension paid to the pensioners, if any.

(b) Where excess pension payment has arisen on account of mistakes committed by the bank, the amount paid in excess should be refunded to the Government in lump-sum immediately after detection of the same and without waiting for recovery of any amount from the pensioners.