All the Rated Companies have been allowed 3 years’ time to regularise their excess deposits by repayment or otherwise. During this period, while a company can accept fresh deposits and renew such maturing deposits subject to reducing the excess holding of public deposits by one-third at the end of every calendar year beginning December 1998. However in such a case, the company should not exceed the level of public deposits outstanding as at the close of business on January 1, 1998. The unrated and underrated NBFCs are not entitled to accept fresh deposits.

All aspects concerning renewal of overdue deposits may be decided by individual banks subject to their Board laying down a transparent policy in this regard and the customers being notified of the terms and conditions of renewal including interest rate, at the time of acceptance of deposit. The policy should be non-discretionary and non-discriminatory.

Ans: Shares issued by reporting entities to non-resident on non-repatriable basis should not be considered as foreign investment; therefore, entities which have issued the shares to non-resident only on non-repatriable basis, is not required to submit the FLA return.

In case your data does not exist in the CKYC database, you will have to opt for the video KYC method.

Yes. You can continue to use your FASTag to pay toll upto the available balance. However, no further funding or top ups will be allowed in the FASTags issued by Paytm Payments Bank after March 15, 2024. It is suggested that you procure a new FASTag issued by another bank before March 15, 2024 to avoid any inconvenience

Yes, it is possible to have two or more banknotes with the same serial number, but they would either have a different Inset Letter or year of printing or signature of a different Governor of RBI. An Inset Letter is an alphabet printed on the Number Panel of the banknote. There can be notes without any inset letter also.

Ans.: An Indian company is said have Pure Technical Collaboration if the company has only foreign technical collaboration and have not received any foreign direct investment.

Ans: A holding company not meeting the criteria for a CIC laid down in para 2 of  Master Direction DoR(NBFC).PD.003/03.10.119/2016-17 dated August 25, 2016 would require to register as an NBFC. However, if such company wishes to register as CIC/ be exempted as CIC, it will have to apply to RBI with an action plan achievable within the specific period to reorganize its business as CIC. If it is not able to do so, it would need to comply with NBFC requirements and prudential norms.

Ans.: If the entity’s accounts are not audited before the due date of submission, then they should report in the survey based on unaudited (provisional) account.

Banks, including co-operative banks, can accept deposits. NBFCs (including Housing Finance Companies), which have been issued Certificate of Registration by the Reserve Bank with a specific licence to accept deposits, are entitled to accept public deposit. In other words, not all NBFCs registered with the Reserve Bank are entitled to accept deposits but only those that hold a deposit accepting Certificate of Registration, can accept deposits. Further, these deposit accepting NBFCs can accept deposits, only to the extent permissible. Companies authorized by Ministry of Corporate Affairs under the Companies (Acceptance of Deposits) Rules framed by Central Government under the Companies Act can also accept deposits upto a certain limit. Cooperative Credit Societies (including Salary Earners Societies) can accept deposits from their members but not from the general public, and are under the purview of Registrar of Cooperative Societies. The Reserve Bank regulates the deposit acceptance only of banks, cooperative banks and NBFCs.

It is not legally permissible for other entities to accept public deposits. Unincorporated bodies like individuals, partnership firms, and other association of individuals are prohibited from carrying on the business of acceptance of deposits as their principal business. Such unincorporated bodies are prohibited from accepting deposits even if they are carrying on financial business. Further, The First Schedule of the ‘The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019’ may be referred for the list of regulated deposit schemes.

Ans: Banks can use either of the alternatives. However, the request of the bank will be subject to availability of funds as on date of application i.e., funds cannot be guaranteed in case the total amount of ₹1,00,000 crore is already availed.

A. A company not complying with prudential norms cannot accept public deposits.

1. Upload a scanned copy of your PAN card.

2. Download the XML version of your Aadhaar from the UIDAI website and upload it. Use the 4-digit pin specified while downloading XML version.

3. Provide address details, scanned copy of your signature, bank account details and nominee details.

4. Complete the video KYC by choosing a time slot for later or immediately, depending on the availability at that point of time.

5. Authenticate the user agreement form by Aadhaar using the OTP sent on your mobile number linked to Aadhaar.

Banks have freedom to fix the rate of interest chargeable on loans and advances against FCNR(B) deposits to the depositors without reference to their Benchmark Prime Lending Rate (BPLR) irrespective of whether repayment is made in Rupees or Foreign Currency.

Ans: No, balance sheet or profit and loss (P&L) accounts are not required to be submitted along with the FLA return.

No. After March 15, 2024 you will not be able to top-up or recharge your FASTag issued by Paytm Payments Bank. It is suggested that you procure a new FASTag issued by another bank before March 15, 2024 to avoid any inconvenience.

Ans.: Please read the definitions of foreign subsidiary, foreign associate, Pure Technical Collaboration and accordingly select the type of reporting company. Further, if you have chosen “Others” in identification of reporting company, please specify.

Ans: No, since the Company is not fulfilling the Principal Business Criteria (asset-income pattern) of an NBFC i.e. more than 50 % of its total assets should be financial assets and the income derived from these assets should be more than 50% of the gross income, it is not required to register as an NBFC under Section 45 IA of the RBI Act, 1934. However, it should register itself as an NBFC as soon as it fulfils the criteria of an NBFC and comply with the NBFC norms.

Ans: Equity consists of all instruments and records that acknowledge claims on the residual value of a corporation or quasi-corporation, after the claims of all creditors have been met. Equity may be split into listed shares, unlisted shares, and other equity. Both listed and unlisted shares are equity securities. Equity securities are commonly called shares or stocks. Other equity is equity that is not in the form of securities.

All NBFCs are not entitled to accept public deposits. Only those NBFCs that hold a deposit accepting Certificate of Registration, and have a minimum investment grade credit rating of ‘BBB–‘ from any of the SEBI-registered credit rating agencies, are allowed to accept/ hold public deposits up to a limit of 1.5 times of their Net Owned Funds. Presently, the maximum rate of interest an NBFC can offer is 12.5%. The interest may be paid or compounded at rests not shorter than monthly rests. The NBFCs are allowed to accept/ renew public deposits which are repayable after 12 months but not later than 60 months. They cannot accept deposits repayable on demand. The list of NBFCs which are specifically licensed by the Reserve Bank to accept deposits is available on its website (www.rbi.org.in) under Regulation → Non-Banking → NBFCs. Members of the public are advised to check the list before placing deposits with NBFCs.

However, as a matter of public policy, Reserve Bank has decided that only banks should be allowed to accept public deposits and as such, has, since 1997, not issued any Certificate of Registration (CoR) to new NBFCs for acceptance of public deposits.

The objective of exempting the intercorporate deposits from the purview of Non-Banking Financial Companies Acceptance of Public Deposits (Reserve Bank) Directions, 1998 is that the corporate bodies whether a shareholder or a non-shareholder should be able to appraise the loan proposals and ensure the safety of the funds lent. Hence, such loans will be treated as ICDs.

No. Banks cannot accept recurring deposits under FCNR(B) Scheme.

Ans: Entities can submit the FLA return through the online web-based portal Foreign Liabilities and Assets Information Reporting (FLAIR) system, having address https://flair.rbi.org.in/fla/faces/pages/login.xhtml.

• To access the URL https://flair.rbi.org.in/fla/faces/pages/login.xhtml, any of the browsers viz, Internet Explorer, Google chrome, Firefox etc. can be used, as all of these would support this application.

• The entity has to register on the portal by clicking Registration for New Entity Users.

• The entity has to fill the details in the FLA user registration form, upload the documents mentioned (Verification Letter and Authority Letter) and click submit to complete the registration.

• After successful registration, user id and default password will be sent to the authorized person’s mail id. Using this user id and password, entities can login to the FLAIR portal and file the FLA Return.

• Please note: The excel-based format and email-based reporting system has been replaced by the web-based format for submission of annual FLA return from June 2019.

Only if your address has changed from the one mentioned in CKYC. In that case, you may update your new address and upload a proof for the same.

Credit balance transfer feature is not available in the FASTag product. Therefore, you will have to close your old FASTag issued by Paytm Payments Bank and request the bank for a refund

Ans: There is no restriction with respect to primary/ secondary market investments in specified securities under the on Tap TLTRO scheme.

Fresh banknotes issued by Reserve Bank of India till August 2006 were serially numbered. Each of these banknote bears a distinctive serial number along with a prefix consisting of numerals and letter/s. The banknotes are issued in packets containing 100 pieces.

The Bank adopted the "STAR series" numbering system for replacement of defectively printed banknote in a packet of 100 pieces of serially numbered banknotes. The Star series banknotes are exactly similar to the other banknotes, but have an additional character viz., a *(star) in the number panel in the space between the prefixes.