Auction of Government Securities announces re-issue auctions with competitive and non-competitive bidding, scheduled settlement dates.
Re-issue auctions for four Government securities will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India via price-based, multiple price auction with notified nominal amounts and optional additional retention by the Government. Up to five percent of each notified amount is reserved for the Non-Competitive Bidding facility for eligible individuals and institutions. Competitive and non-competitive electronic bids must be submitted on the RBI E-Kuber system within prescribed time windows on the auction day. Results and payment will follow on specified dates, and the stocks will be eligible for When Issued trading under RBI guidelines.

Branch authorisation policy mandates rural allocation of new banking outlets, supported by GIS mapping for village coverage.
A GIS-based Jan Dhan Darshak app maps bank branches, Business Correspondents and ATMs to evaluate village coverage. The Branch Authorisation Policy permits domestic scheduled commercial banks to open outlets nationwide without prior approval, conditioned on allocating a portion of new outlets to unbanked rural centres. State Level Bankers' Committees coordinate rollout with state governments and banks, which assess RBI instructions, commercial viability and conduct surveys before opening outlets. PMJDY organised villages into Sub-Service Areas, covered by branches and interoperable BCs to extend rural banking.

Foreign investment policy in defence permits greater automatic entry while imposing enhanced government scrutiny and security declarations.
The policy raises the level of permitted automatic foreign investment in defence manufacturing while retaining the government route for higher stakes where access to modern technology or other reasons are recorded. Licence applications are to be considered by DPIIT in consultation with the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs. Foreign investments remain subject to security clearance and defence guidelines; the government may review any investment affecting national security. Companies must be self-sufficient in design and development and provide maintenance and life cycle support for products manufactured in India, and ownership changes may require declarations or government approval depending on the change.

Foreign Direct Investment inflows rose steadily through 2018-19, signalling increased investor interest and provisional gains.
Foreign Direct Investment inflows exhibited a steady upward trend from financial year 2015-16 through 2018-19 (provisional), with annual totals rising year-on-year and the 2018-19 figure reported as provisional. The data underpinning this trend was disclosed in a parliamentary written reply and is based on official statistical reporting, noting the provisional nature of the most recent year's total.

E commerce regulation: investigations under FDI/FEMA alongside consumer rules clarifying platform liability and origin labelling obligations.
Multi agency scrutiny of e commerce firms includes DPIIT examination and a previously issued Press Note to clarify FDI policy; investigations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act by the Directorate of Enforcement for alleged FDI contraventions; and Competition Commission probes into alleged anti competitive conduct. Separately, the Consumer Protection (e commerce) Rules, 2020 define platform liability, and a Legal Metrology office memorandum requires country of origin declarations for packaged commodities.

Rupee interest rate derivatives rules proposed; public consultation invited and stakeholders may submit written comments.
The Reserve Bank has published the Draft Rupee Interest Rate Derivatives (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2020 under Section 45W of the RBI Act, 1934, proposing a regulatory framework for rupee interest rate derivatives and clarifying the Reserve Bank's supervisory scope. The publication institutes a public consultation: banks, market participants and other interested parties are invited to submit written comments to the Financial Markets Regulation Department by the stated deadline, using the prescribed contact channels and email subject line.

Government securities auction: re-issue conducted by central bank via price-based multiple-price method; non-competitive allocation and trading rules.
The Government announces re-issue auctions of three Government Stocks by price-based auction conducted by the Reserve Bank using the multiple-price method; the Government may accept additional subscriptions. Up to five percent of each notified amount is reserved for the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding. Competitive and non-competitive bids must be submitted electronically on the Reserve Bank's E-Kuber in prescribed time windows on the auction date, with results and payment settlement following. The stocks are eligible for When Issued trading per Reserve Bank guidelines.

Waiver of interest: expert committee to assess economic and financial impact and recommend mitigation measures.
Constitution of an Expert Committee to advise the Government on waiving of interest and waiver of interest on interest related to the COVID 19 moratorium: to measure national economic and financial stability impact, suggest measures to mitigate financial constraints for affected segments, and provide other necessary observations. The committee of three experts will report within one week, may consult banks and stakeholders, and will receive secretarial support from State Bank of India.

Doorstep Banking Services expand PSB home delivery of non financial services now, with financial services to follow under the EASE reforms.
Doorstep Banking Services enable PSBs to deliver specified non financial services at customers' homes via Call Centre, Web Portal and Mobile App through deployed Doorstep Banking Agents, with nominal charges and request-tracking; financial services rollout is scheduled from October 2020. The EASE 2.0 Index evaluates PSB reform progress across 120+ metrics in six themes, embeds performance into leadership appraisals, and drives tech enabled banking, risk based underwriting, EWS monitoring, governance reforms and outcome oriented HR to improve service access, credit processes and asset quality.

Resolution framework financial ratios guide lenders by specifying key ratios and sector thresholds for borrower resolution plans.
The Reserve Bank accepted the Expert Committee's recommendations on leverage, liquidity and debt serviceability and issued a follow-up circular specifying five key financial ratios and sector-specific thresholds for 26 sectors to be applied in finalising resolution plans; lenders must assess other sectors on a case-by-case basis consistent with the August 6 Resolution Framework and the follow-up circular.

Government securities re-issue auction open with price-based multiple-price method and non-competitive allocation for retail bidders.
The Government announced re-issue auctions of several fixed-rate and floating-rate securities through price-based, multiple-price method auctions administered by the Reserve Bank of India, with notified nominal amounts for each security and a government option to retain additional subscription up to a stated cap; up to a reserved proportion of each issue will be allotted under the Non-Competitive Bidding Facility for eligible individuals and institutions.

Variation margin requirement for non-centrally cleared derivatives proposed to enhance OTC settlement safety and solicit stakeholder comments.
Release of draft Variation Margin (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2020 proposes requiring the exchange of variation margin for non-centrally cleared derivatives (NCCDs) to implement G-20 recommendations and improve the safety of settlement for OTC derivatives. The Reserve Bank seeks feedback from banks, market participants and other interested parties by the specified deadline and provides channels for submission of comments as part of a consultative process prior to finalisation.

GDP contraction for the first quarter attributed to pandemic restrictions, data substitutions, and provisional estimates subject to revision.
Estimates show a pronounced contraction in GDP and GVA for the first quarter at Constant and Current Prices, with substantial negative growth across major sectors. Compilation relied on agricultural, livestock, fishery, industrial, government accounts, transport, financial sector and corporate data, acknowledging substituted data sources due to pandemic-related disruptions. The release emphasises that data limitations affecting indicators used in national accounts may lead to revisions and that the published figures are provisional pending the scheduled future releases.

Government securities auction using multiple price method: electronic competitive and non-competitive bidding with reserved non-competitive allotment.
Sale by price-based auction of three re-issued central government securities using the multiple price method, with electronic submission of competitive and non-competitive bids on the designated platform within prescribed windows, up to five percent reserved for eligible non-competitive bidders, issuer option to retain additional subscription for each security, auction results announced on the auction date, payment on the stated settlement date, and eligibility for When Issued trading under applicable guidelines.

Central receipts and expenditure show reduced state devolution and elevated revenue expenditure including interest and subsidies.
Central receipts through July 2020 are driven by net tax revenue, supplemented by non tax revenue and non debt capital receipts (mostly loan recoveries). Transfers to states as devolution of share of taxes are lower than the previous year. Expenditure is split into revenue and capital accounts, with revenue expenditure dominating; interest payments and major subsidies are the principal components of revenue spending.

Sovereign Gold Bond issue pricing set with an online digital payment discount for subscribers during the offering window.
Sovereign Gold Bond Series VI subscription runs for a specified window with settlement on the announced date; the issue price is fixed at Rs. 5,117 per gram for the subscription period. A digital payment incentive grants a Rs. 50 per gram discount for investors who apply online and pay by digital mode, making their effective issue price Rs. 5,067 per gram.

Bank governance and risk management: banks must strengthen governance and rebuild capital to ensure resilience post pandemic.
Banks must strengthen internal governance, risk management, and compliance while implementing time bound RBI liquidity, moratorium and resolution measures without treating relaxations as permanent. Banks should reassess business models, pursue scale and efficiency supported by business oriented technology, tighten underwriting and credit monitoring to prevent fraud, and embed early warning systems, stress testing, internal audit and proactive capital and liquidity planning to rebuild buffers and resilience.

High-denomination note management: high-value note printing paused and circulation fell while lower denominations were prioritized.
The Reserve Bank suspended printing of the highest-denomination banknote in 2019-20 and reported a continued decline in its circulation and share of total volume and value. No indent was placed and no fresh supplies were provided by the note-printing agencies. Indents and supplies for multiple lower denominations were issued and many were supplied for circulation. Overall indents and supplies of banknotes were lower in 2019-20, largely attributed to COVID 19 disruptions and the ensuing lockdown.

Umbrella Entity authorisation: RBI invites applications under new pan-India retail payments framework, applicants to use prescribed Form A.
The regulatory authority released a framework for authorisation of a pan India Umbrella Entity for Retail Payments after deliberation on public feedback, and invites prospective applicants to submit applications in the prescribed Form A within the announced submission window to initiate the formal authorisation process.

Self-Regulatory Organisation recognition framework: draft sets SRO role for payment system operators and invites stakeholder comments.
A draft framework proposes recognition of an industry association as a Self-Regulatory Organisation for Payment System Operators, covering all payment system segments to establish minimum benchmarks and standards on security, customer protection and competitiveness. The SRO is intended to act as a two-way communication channel between PSOs and the monetary authority, promote best practices and disciplined member behaviour, and the draft invites public comments to inform finalisation.