Skip to main content

Banking Regulation Act, 1949 – Part-IV – Section 36AA to 45Q

The Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act, 1949) governs the working of banks in India. In a series of articles, we will briefly go through some of the important provisions of the BR Act, 1949. This is the fourth article in the series.

Part 2A - Control over Management

Section 36AA – Power of Reserve Bank to remove managerial and other persons from office 

  • RBI may remove from office any chairman / director / chief executive officer / other officer / employee of the banking company.
  • Any person against whom an order of removal has been made under section 36AA(1), may appeal to the Central Government within 30 days from the date of communication to him of the order. The decision of the Central Government on such appeal and order made by RBI where appeal is not made, shall be final.
  • Where an order under section 36AA(1) has been made, RBI may appoint a suitable person in place of the chairman / director / chief executive officer / other officer / employee who has been removed from his office under section 36AA(1).

Section 36AB - Power of Reserve Bank to appoint additional Directors 

RBI may appoint one / more persons to hold office as additional directors of the banking company.

Part 2AB - Supersession of Board of Directors of Banking Company

Section 36ACA – Supersession of Board of Directors in certain cases 

  • In consultation with the Central Government, RBI may supersede the Board of directors of a banking company for up to 6 months.
  • The period of supersession of the Board of directors may be extended from time to time, however, the total period shall not exceed 12 months.
  • On supersession of the Board of directors of the banking company, RBI may, in consultation with the Central Government, appoint an Administrator (not being an officer of the Central Government / State Government) who has experience in law / finance / banking / economics / accountancy.
  • In consultation with the Central Government, RBI may constitute a committee of 3 or more persons who have experience in law / finance / banking / economics / accountancy to assist the Administrator in the discharge of his duties.
  • On and before the expiration of 2 months before the expiry of the period of supersession of the Board of directors, the Administrator of the banking company shall reconstitute its Board of directors.
  • The Administrator shall vacate office immediately after the Board of directors of the banking company has been reconstituted.

Part 2B - Prohibition of Certain Activities in Relation to Banking Companies

Section 36AD – Punishments for certain activities in relation to banking companies 

  • A person shall not – 
    • Obstruct any person from lawfully entering / leaving any office / place of business of a banking company or from carrying on any business there.
    • Hold, within the office / place of business of any banking company, any demonstration which is violent or which prevents the transaction of normal business by the banking company. 
    • Act in any manner to undermine the confidence of the depositors in the banking company.
  • Whoever contravenes any provision of section 36AD(1) without any reasonable excuse shall be punishable with imprisonment up to 6 months or fine up to Rs.1000 or both.
  • For the purposes of this section "Banking Company" includes RBI, Exim Bank, Reconstruction Bank, National Housing Bank, National Bank, Small Industries Bank, National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development or the other development financial institution, SBI, corresponding new bank, regional rural bank and a subsidiary bank.

Part 3 - Suspension of Business and Winding up of Banking Companies

Section 39 – Reserve Bank to be official liquidator

Where in any proceeding for the winding up by the High Court of a banking company, an application is made by RBI, RBI / SBI / any other bank notified by the Central Government / any individual, as stated in such application shall be appointed as the official liquidator of the banking company in such proceeding, and the liquidator, if any, functioning in such proceeding shall vacate office.

Section 44A – Procedure for amalgamation of banking companies

Section 45 – Power of RBI to apply to Central Government for suspension of business by a banking company and to prepare scheme of reconstruction of amalgamation

Part 3A - Special Provisions for Speedy Disposal of Winding up Proceedings

Section 45P – Reserve Bank to tender advice in winding up proceeding 

Where in any proceeding for the winding up of a banking company in which any person other than RBI has been appointed as the official liquidator and the High Court has directed the official liquidator to obtain the advice of RBI on any matter, it shall be lawful for RBI to examine the record of any such proceeding and tender advice on matter.

Section 45Q – Power to Inspect 

  • On being directed so to do by the Central Government / High Court, RBI shall inspect a banking company which is being wound up and its books and accounts.
  • On such inspection, RBI shall submit its report to the Central Government and High Court.


References

Reserve Bank of India. (2021, April 19). 'The Banking Regulation Act, 1949'. Retrieved from https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/OccasionalPublications.aspx?head=Banking%20Regulation%20Act


Follow at - Telegram   Instagram   LinkedIn   X   Facebook

Comments

Popular Posts

Export / Import of Currency and Possession / Retention of Foreign Currency

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has updated the guidelines on export and import of currency. What are the guidelines on export and import of Indian currency? Transferor Transfer from Transfer to Nature of currency Maximum limit Person resident in India India Countries other than Nepal and Bhutan Currency notes of Government of India (GoI) and RBI notes ₹25000 per person Commemorative coins 2 coins Person resident in India gone out of India on temporary visit, on his return Countries other than Nepal and Bhutan India Currency notes of GoI and RBI notes ₹25000 per person Person resident outside India (not citizen of Pakistan / Bangladesh) visiting India India Any country Currency notes of GoI and RBI notes ₹25000 per person Any country India Person (not citizen of Pakist...

National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) 2025-30

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has published National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) 2025-30. Financial Inclusion The Committee on Financial Inclusion (Chairman: Dr C Rangarajan, RBI, 2008) defined financial inclusion as “the process of ensuring access to financial services, timely and adequate credit for vulnerable groups such as weaker sections and low-income groups at an affordable cost”. The Committee on Medium-Term Path to Financial Inclusion (Chairman: Shri Deepak Mohanty, RBI, 2015) viewed financial inclusion as, “convenient access to a basket of basic formal financial products and services that should include savings, remittance, credit, government-supported insurance and pension products to small and marginal farmers and low income households at reasonable cost with adequate protection progressively supplemented by social cash transfers, besides increasing the access of small and marginal enterprises to formal finance with a greater reliance on technology to cut costs an...

RBI’s Monetary Policy (December 05, 2025): In A Nutshell

The bi-monthly monetary policy of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was announced on December 05, 2025. Here are some of the highlights of the monetary policy announcement. Rates   Change Rate Policy repo rate Reduced by 25 bps 5.25% Standing deposit facility (SDF) rate 5.00% Marginal standing facility (MSF) rate 5.50% Bank rate 5.50% Monetary policy stance Monetary policy stance unchanged as ‘neutral’. Domestic Economy  Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth accelerated to 8.2% in Q2, buoyed by strong spending during the festive season which was further facilitated by the rationalisation of the goods and services tax (GST) rates.  Real GDP growth for 2025-26 is projected at 7.3%. For the first time since the adoption of flexible inflation targeting (FIT), average headline inflation for a quarter at 1.7% in Q2, breached the lower tolerance threshold (2%) of the inflation target (4%). It dipped further to an all-time low of 0.3% in October 2025. The underlying inflation pressu...

Rupee Interest Rate Derivatives

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued directions on rupee interest rate derivatives. What is Interest Rate Derivative (IRD)? Interest Rate Derivative (IRD) means a financial derivative contract whose value is derived from one or more Rupee interest rates, prices of Rupee interest rate instruments, or Rupee interest rate indices. To which transactions shall the directions be applicable? The directions shall be applicable to Rupee IRD transactions undertaken in the over-the-counter (OTC) market and on recognised stock exchanges in India. Forward Contracts in Government Securities shall be undertaken in the OTC market in terms of the Reserve Bank of India (Forward Contracts in Government Securities) Directions, 2025, dated February 21, 2025. Who are eligible participants in IRD markets? Resident Non-resident, through its central treasury or its group entity, where applicable.  What are the directions on trading of IRDs on recognised stock exchanges? A recognised stock exchange is per...

Export of Goods & Services

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has updated the regulations on export of goods and services. What are the regulations on declaration of exports? In case of exports taking place through Customs manual ports, every exporter of goods or software in physical form or through any other form, either directly or indirectly, to any place outside India, other than Nepal and Bhutan, shall furnish to the specified authority, a declaration containing the amount representing – Full export value of the goods or software; or If the full export value is not ascertainable at the time of export, the value which the exporter, having regard to the prevailing market conditions expects to receive on the sale of the goods or the software in overseas market. Realization of export proceeds in respect of export of goods / software from third party should be duly declared by the exporter. Form EDF should be completed in duplicate for export from non-Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) ports. Form SOFTEX should be compl...