Bank exam pack · Monthly capsule

Banking Awareness — October 2026

For the General / Banking Awareness section of IBPS, SBI and RBI exams: what the Reserve Bank of India announced this month, in short points, each linked to the RBI press release it comes from. This month is still running: it covers releases read up to 30 October 2026.

Made by Shishya (AI-assisted), checked against the linked RBI releases (read 30 October 2026). Sources: RBI and PIB pages only. Always confirm a figure on the linked release before you rely on it.

1. Monetary policy · 7 October 2026

   MPC raises the policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50%

   • The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met from October 5 to 7, 2026 and voted unanimously to raise the policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50%.
   • After the change, the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate is 5.25%; the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate are 5.75%.
   • The MPC changed its stance to calibrated tightening. Two members, Dr. Nagesh Kumar and Prof. Ram Singh, favoured keeping the neutral stance.
   • RBI projected real GDP growth for 2026-27 at 7.1% and CPI inflation for 2026-27 at 5.2%.
   • The MPC is chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra; its other members are Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Shri Saugata Bhattacharya, Prof. Ram Singh, Dr. Poonam Gupta and Shri Indranil Bhattacharyya. The minutes were published on October 21, 2026.

   Source: RBI: Minutes of the Monetary Policy Committee Meeting, October 5 to 7, 2026 (21 Oct 2026) ↗ · read 26 October 2026

2. Regulation · 7 October 2026

   Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies: Account Aggregator interoperability

   • RBI will enable interoperability among NBFC Account Aggregators (NBFC-AAs), so a customer can access and share financial information through any NBFC-AA of their choice.
   • SEBI-regulated depositories will be able to show bank deposit information in the Consolidated Account Statement through NBFC-AAs.
   • These measures are expected to be implemented by December 31, 2026.
   • RBI will also set up a Technical Consultative Committee for Financial Markets to engage market participants on the money, government securities and foreign exchange markets and related derivatives.

   Source: RBI: Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies, October 7, 2026 ↗ · read 26 October 2026

3. Banks · 16 October 2026

   RBI approves amalgamation of Emirates NBD's Indian branches with RBL Bank

   • RBI approved the scheme of amalgamation of the Indian branches of Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C. with RBL Bank Limited.
   • The approval was given under sub-section (4) of Section 44A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
   • The scheme takes effect from December 1, 2026; from that date the Indian branches of Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C. work as branches of RBL Bank Limited.

   Source: RBI: RBI approves amalgamation of Indian branches of Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C. with RBL Bank Limited (16 Oct 2026) ↗ · read 26 October 2026

4. Payments and RBI · 25 October 2026

   RBI Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute inaugurated in Bhubaneswar

   • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India's Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on October 25, 2026.
   • The Data Centre will house RBI's mission-critical systems, including RTGS and NEFT.
   • The Training Institute is to build expertise in cybersecurity, AI and other emerging technologies.

   Source: RBI: Hon'ble Prime Minister of India inaugurates the Reserve Bank of India's Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, Odisha (25 Oct 2026) ↗ · read 26 October 2026

5. Regulation · 23 October 2026

   Final guidelines on the Basel leverage ratio standard

   • RBI issued final guidelines to implement the Leverage Ratio 2017 Standard of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, as the Commercial Banks – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy Eleventh Amendment Directions, 2026.
   • A draft had been published in August 2026; the final version reflects feedback on it.
   • The guidelines take effect from April 1, 2027.

   Source: RBI: RBI issues guidelines on the implementation of Leverage Ratio 2017 Standard (23 Oct 2026) ↗ · read 26 October 2026

6. Regulation · 23 October 2026

   Operational risk capital: implementation of the Basel III Standardised Approach

   • RBI issued the Commercial Banks – Forthcoming Instructions Second Amendment Directions, 2026 on minimum capital requirements for operational risk.
   • They set the implementation date of the Basel III Standardised Approach for operational risk capital and give an indicative mapping of Business Indicator components to financial statement line items.

   Source: RBI: Second Amendment Directions, 2026 on Minimum Capital Requirements for Operational Risk (23 Oct 2026) ↗ · read 26 October 2026

7. Government securities · 22 October 2026

   Final redemption price of SGB 2018-19 Series-II

   • The redemption price for the final redemption of Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) 2018-19 Series-II, due on October 23, 2026, is ₹14,425 per unit.
   • The price is the simple average of the closing price of gold of 999 purity for the three business days before redemption (October 19, 21 and 22, 2026), as published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Ltd (IBJA).

   Source: RBI: Final redemption under Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) Scheme – SGB 2018-19 Series-II (22 Oct 2026) ↗ · read 26 October 2026

8. Banks · 22 October 2026

   Directions on a West Bengal co-operative bank extended

   • RBI extended its directions on The Suri Friends' Union Co-operative Bank Ltd., Suri, West Bengal, for a further three months, up to the close of business on January 22, 2027, subject to review.
   • The directions were issued under Section 35A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949; they were first issued on July 21, 2022.

   Source: RBI: Directions under Section 35A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 – The Suri Friends' Union Co-operative Bank Ltd. (22 Oct 2026) ↗ · read 26 October 2026

9. Payments and RBI · 27 October 2026

   RBI hosts the 36th Conference of State Finance Secretaries

   • The 36th Conference of State Finance Secretaries took place at RBI, Mumbai on October 27, 2026; the Governor opened it.
   • Its theme: Role of Quality of Expenditure, Effective Cash and Prudent Debt Management in Enhancing States' Fiscal Sustainability.
   • Finance Secretaries of 27 States and three Union Territories took part, with officials of the Union Finance Ministry, the Controller General of Accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
   • The Governor asked States to join the Unified Lending Interface (ULI), to use Programmable Central Bank Digital Currency (P-CBDC) for Direct Benefit Transfers, and to make good use of the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC).
   • He released a booklet, the Compendium on Cash and Debt Management for State Governments.

   Source: RBI: Reserve Bank holds 36th Conference of State Finance Secretaries (27 Oct 2026) ↗ · read 30 October 2026

10. Government securities · 29 October 2026

    Premature redemption prices of two Sovereign Gold Bond tranches

    • SGB 2020-21 Series I (issued April 28, 2020) could be redeemed early on October 28, 2026 at ₹14,159 per unit.
    • SGB 2019-20 Series VI (issued October 30, 2019) could be redeemed early on October 30, 2026 at ₹14,213 per unit.
    • Early redemption is allowed after the fifth year from the issue date, on a date when interest is payable; the price is the simple average of IBJA's closing price of 999-purity gold for the three business days before.

    Source: RBI: Premature redemption prices for SGB 2020-21 Series I (27 Oct 2026) and SGB 2019-20 Series VI (29 Oct 2026) ↗ · read 30 October 2026

Quiz: 20 questions on October 2026

Every answer is printed in one of the items above. The first 2 answers need no account; then a free sign-up with Google.

From Shishya's daily digest, with an RBI or PIB source

AI-written summaries from the daily current-affairs digest; only items whose stored source is an RBI or PIB page.

• 4 October 2026 · RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra Addresses Fifth Kautilya Economic Conclave

  Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra delivered a special address on 'Preserving Financial Stability in an Evolving World' at the Fifth Kautilya Economic Conclave on October 3, 2026. The RBI also appointed Sudhakar Malli as new Executive Director.

  Source ↗

• 5 October 2026 · RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra Addresses Fifth Kautilya Economic Conclave

  RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra delivered a special address titled 'Preserving Financial Stability in an Evolving World' at the Fifth Kautilya Economic Conclave on October 3, 2026. The conclave is being held in New Delhi from October 3-5, 2026, under the theme 'Resilience in an Age of Flux', focusing on economic policy challenges and financial stability.

  Source ↗

• 5 October 2026 · RBI Appoints Sudhakar Malli as New Executive Director

  The Reserve Bank of India appointed Shri Sudhakar Malli as Executive Director, as announced on the RBI official website. Executive Directors at RBI oversee critical departments including supervision, regulation, currency management, and financial markets, and are part of the senior management reporting to the Governor and Deputy Governors.

  Source ↗