<h1>Cooperative banks: loans to NCDC now qualify as priority sector; governance, deposit protection and digital support strengthened.</h1> Loans sanctioned by banks to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) for on lending to cooperative societies are eligible for classification as Priority Sector Lending under the respective categories, subject to the purposes and activities set out in the Master Direction on Priority Sector Lending, 2025; this applies to banks other than Regional Rural Banks, Urban Cooperative Banks, Small Finance Banks and Local Area Banks and is intended to facilitate greater credit flow to cooperative societies.