The RBI announced a requirement for scheduled commercial banks, including cooperative banks and non-banking financial companies, to report relief measures for natural calamities through the Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) Portal bi-annually. This aims to enhance the monitoring of relief efforts.
RBI Mandates Half-Yearly Returns for Natural Calamities
In a recent circular (RBI/2026-27/250) dated September 2, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India introduced a requirement for all scheduled commercial banks, including regional rural banks and small finance banks, to submit half-yearly returns concerning relief measures in areas affected by natural calamities. This reporting will be executed through the Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) Portal.
The RBI aims to facilitate comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of the impacts and effectiveness of financial measures in such regions. The introduction of these reports is crucial for ensuring accountability and transparency in the government and banking sectors regarding disaster management.
Financial institutions are now tasked with preparing and submitting detailed performance reports every half-year, which will help the RBI gauge the financial influence of relief operations in affected regions.
This development underscores the growing importance of transparency and accountability within the financial sector, offering practitioners a new dimension to public welfare obligations and compliance requirements.
Citations
- RBI/2026-27/250 CO.FIDD.FSD.No.S544/05-10-001/2026-27