For Daily Job Alert	Join Our Whats App Channel
For Free Study Material	Join Our Telegram Channel

Important Dates in history of RBI

The Reserve Bank of India is the central bank of the country. Central banks are a relatively recent innovation and most central banks, as we know them today, were established around the early twentieth century.

The Reserve Bank of India was set up on the basis of the recommendations of the Hilton Young Commission. The Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (II of 1934) provides the statutory basis of the functioning of the Bank, which commenced operations on April 1, 1935.

The Bank was constituted to
  * Regulate the issue of banknotes
  * Maintain reserves with a view to securing monetary stability and
  * To operate the credit and currency system of the country to its advantage.

The Bank began its operations by taking over from the Government the functions so far being performed by the Controller of Currency and from the Imperial Bank of India, the management of Government accounts and public debt. The existing currency offices at Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Rangoon, Karachi, Lahore and Cawnpore (Kanpur) became branches of the Issue Department. Offices of the Banking Department were established in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Delhi and Rangoon.

Burma (Myanmar) seceded from the Indian Union in 1937 but the Reserve Bank continued to act as the Central Bank for Burma till Japanese Occupation of Burma and later upto April, 1947. After the partition of India, the Reserve Bank served as the central bank of Pakistan upto June 1948 when the State Bank of Pakistan commenced operations. The Bank, which was originally set up as a shareholder’s bank, was nationalised in 1949.

• In 1926, the Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance recommended creation of a central bank for India.
• In 1927, a bill to give effect to the above recommendation was introduced in the Legislative Assembly, but was later withdrawn due to lack of agreement among various sections of people.
• In 1933, the White Paper on Indian Constitutional Reforms recommended the creation of a Reserve Bank. A fresh bill was introduced in the Legislative Assembly.
• In 1934, the Bill was passed and received the Governor General’s assent
• In 1935, Reserve Bank commenced operations as India’s central bank on April 1 as a private shareholders’ bank with a paid up capital of rupees five crore.
• In 1942 Reserve Bank ceased to be the currency issuing authority of Burma (now Myanmar).
• In 1947, Reserve Bank stopped acting as banker to the Government of Burma.
• In 1948, Reserve Bank stopped rendering central banking services to Pakistan.
• In 1949, the Government of India nationalized the Reserve Bank under the Reserve Bank (Transfer of Public Ownership) Act, 1948.
• In 1949, Banking Regulation Act was enacted.
• In 1951, India embarked in the Planning Era.
• In 1966, the Cooperative Banks came within the regulations of the RBI.
• In 1966, Rupee was devaluated for the first time.
• In 1969, Nationalization of 14 Banks was a Turning point in the history of Indian Banking.
• In 1973, the Foreign Exchange Regulation act was amended and exchange control was strengthened.
• In 1974, the Priority Sector Advance Targets started getting fixed.
• In 1975, Regional Rural Banks started
• In 1985, the Sukhamoy Chakravarty and Vaghul Committee reports embarked the era of Financial Market Reforms in India.
• In 1991, India came under the Balance of Payment crisis and RBI pledged Gold to shore up reserves. Rupee was devaluated.
• In 1991-92, Economic Reforms started in India.
• In 1993, Exchange Rate became Market determined.
• In 1994, Board for Financial Supervision was set up.
• In 1997, the regulation of the Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFC) got strengthened.
• In 1998, Multiple Indicator Approach for monetary policy was adopted for the first time.
• In 2000, the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) replaced the erstwhile FERA.
• In 2002, The Clearing Corporation of India Ltd Started operation.
• In 2003, Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBMA) enacted.
• In 2004, Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) started working fully.
• In 2004, Market Stabilization Scheme (MSS) was launched.
• In 2004 Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) started working.
• In 2006, Reserve Bank of India was empowered to regulate the money, forex, G-Sec and Gold related security markets.
• In 2007, Reserve bank of India was empowered to regulate the Payment systems.