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Amid reports of invoking special powers to direct it, Govt says RBI autonomy essential

Published

7 years ago

on

RBI

Following a report in a leading business daily, speculation abounded on Wednesday about whether the government had invoked Section 7 of the RBI Act, which would give the government the ability to direct the central bank’s actions.

Finance Ministry remained studiously silent on the issue while the Economic Affairs Secretary declined to comment on whether Section 7 had been invoked, as reported by the Economic Times today (Wednesday, October 31).

The official statement issued by Finance Ministry also made no mention of it.

The Finance Ministry statement acknowledged that the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is an “essential and accepted governance requirement”, but it neither confirmed nor denied that it had issued directives to the bank under Section 7 of the RBI Act.

A statement from the Department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry said:

“The autonomy for the Central Bank, within the framework of the RBI Act, is an essential and accepted governance requirement.

“Governments in India have nurtured and respected this. Both the government and the central bank, in their functioning, have to be guided by public interest and the requirements of the Indian economy.

“For the purpose, extensive consultations on several issues take place between the government and the RBI from time to time. This is equally true of all other regulators. Government of India has never made public the subject matter of those consultations. Only the final decisions taken are communicated. The government, through these consultations, places its assessment on issues and suggests possible solutions. The government will continue to do so.”

Section 7 of the RBI Act reads: “The Central government may from time to time give such directions to the bank as it may, after consultation with the Governor of the bank, consider necessary in the public interest. Subject to any such directions, the general superintendence and direction of the affairs and business of the bank shall be entrusted to a Central Board of Directors which may exercise all powers and do all acts and things which may be exercised or done by the bank.”

This Central Board of Directors, according to the Act, comprises a Governor and [not more than four] Deputy Governors to be appointed by the government, four Directors to be nominated by the government and one official nominated by the government. Giving control of the Reserve Bank of India to its Board of Directors effectively gives this control to the government.

CNBC-TV18 reported today that the government has initiated talks with the Reserve Bank of India to consider invoking a provision never used before, which could empower it to issue directions to the central bank on certain matters. Unidentified officials told the news channel that it was unclear if holding consultations with the central bank alone meant that the law had been invoked.

According to The Economic Times however, Section 7 of the Reserve Bank of India Act may already have been invoked and could be the reason between a rift that has become increasingly public in recent days.

RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya had on Friday warned that undermining a central bank’s independence was “potentially catastrophic”.

Subhash Chandra Garg, the secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, refused to comment on the reports.

The government has sent letters to the RBI in recent weeks, exercising its powers under Section 7 of the RBI Act on matters such as liquidity for non-banking financial companies, capital requirements for weak banks and lending to small and medium enterprises, The Economic Times reported.

The letters were sent at least a month before Acharya’s speech, an official told BloombergQuint.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram wrote on Twitter that if the reports were true, “I am afraid there will be more bad news today”. “We did not invoke Section 7 in [the crises of] 1991 or 1997 or 2008 or 2013,” he wrote. “What is the need to invoke the provision now? It shows that government is hiding facts about the economy and is desperate.”

Reacting to the statement issued by the finance ministry, former finance minister P Chidambaram tweeted “Obviously, the government has concealed something. The buzz is that government has recently written one or more letters to the RBI.” He added: “Will government say whether such letters have been written and whether the letters specifically refer to Section 7 of the RBI Act?”

In his speech on Friday, Acharya said that governments that do not respect a central bank’s independence sooner or later incur the wrath of financial markets. Government officials had recently called for the RBI to relax lending restrictions on some banks. The RBI also opposed a suggestion by the government’s inter-ministerial committee to set up an independent regulator for payment systems.

Three days after the speech, Reuters reported that the Centre is upset with the central bank for publicly talking about the rift. Senior officials said the government fears the rift could tarnish the country’s image among investors. An unidentified official in the Prime Minister’s Office told Reuters it was “very unfortunate” that RBI took the matters public. The official said Patel may face a tough time when he appears before a parliamentary standing committee on November 12.

On Tuesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the central bank had “looked the other way” when banks were lending “indiscriminately” between 2008 and 2014.

Another government official told Reuters that it was vital that what happened between the government and RBI was kept confidential. “The government respects the autonomy and independence of the RBI but they must understand their responsibility,” the official added.

Government officials said they were surprised that Patel, who was appointed by the Modi administration in 2016 and initially cooperated with the government, is creating tension when the Centre is facing criticism over its handling of the economy before the 2019 General Elections.

The government is also reportedly unhappy with the bank for not cutting interest rates and raising them instead.

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Union Budget 2026 highlights: Nirmala Sitharaman Raises Capex to Rs 12.2 Lakh Cr, West Bengal Gets Major Allocation

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament today. Follow this space for live updates, key announcements, and policy insights.

Published

2 days ago

on

February 1, 2026

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrives to present Union Budget 2026

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will shortly present the Union Budget 2026 in the Lok Sabha, marking her ninth consecutive Budget. The annual financial statement is expected to outline the government’s policy priorities, reform agenda and spending plans for the coming year. Stay tuned for live updates, key announcements and immediate reactions as the Budget speech unfolds.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled her ninth Union Budget today, beginning her speech at 11 am.

Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her ninth Union Budget today, with the finance minister scheduled to begin her speech at 11 am.

Budget 2026 live updates: Presenting the Union Budget for 2026–27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the occasion coincided with Magh Purnima and the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas. She noted that over the past 12 years, India’s economic journey has been defined by stability, fiscal discipline, sustained growth and moderate inflation.

The budgeted fiscal deficit for fiscal 2026 is estimated at 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP)

Planned capital expenditure this fiscal year Rs 11.2 lakh crore

Rare earth corrdiors in Odisha and Kerala

Hi-tech tool rooms to be set up by PSUs

Construction equipment scheme to be launched

Container manufacturing scheme for Rs 10,000 crore over 5 years

Rs 10,000 crore SME Growth Fund

Semi-conductor mission to get Rs 40,000 crore

Rs 12.2 lakh crores for infrastructure development

Dedicated RITES to repurpose land of Central PSUs

20 new waterways over next 5 years to be connected

7 high-speed corridors on rail

High-level committee on banking for next phase of Viksit Bharat

Capital expenditure hike of to ₹12.2 lakh crore in Budget 2026, with West Bengal receiving a significant share of allocations.

Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj Initiative aimed at boosting the khadi, handloom, and handicrafts sectors.

High-speed rail corridors: Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, Varanasi-Siliguri, Pune-Hyderabad

Five university campuses to be established near industrial corridors

Lakpati Didi program expanded in Budget 2026 to reach more beneficiaries across India.

Fiscal deficit for FY26 revised to 4.4%; Budget Estimate for FY27 set at 4.3%.

TCS on overseas tour packages cut to 2% to ease travel costs

Tax holiday to foreign companies that provide cloud services by setting up data centres in India till 2047

17 cancer drugs exempted from import duties

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Union budget 2026 to be presented on Sunday with special trading session

The Union Budget 2026 will be presented on a Sunday for the first time in over two decades, with NSE and BSE announcing special trading sessions for the day.

Published

3 days ago

on

January 31, 2026

By

Nirmala Sitharaman

For the first time in more than two decades, the Union Budget will be presented on a Sunday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to table the Union Budget for 2026 in the Lok Sabha on February 1 at 11 am, even as the day is usually observed as a holiday for government offices and financial markets.

February 1 falls on a Sunday this year, raising questions about market operations and investor response. To ensure uninterrupted trading and immediate market reaction to budget announcements, stock exchanges have announced special arrangements for the day.

Markets to remain open on budget day

Both the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange have confirmed that markets will remain open on February 1. The NSE has announced a special trading session, with the pre-open market scheduled from 9 am to 9:08 am, followed by normal trading hours from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm.

The BSE has also declared the day a special trading day, with regular market hours applicable. Trading is expected to continue across equity, derivatives, and futures and options segments.

What the Sunday budget means for investors

A weekend budget presentation is seen as offering certain advantages for market participants. With trading active on the same day, investors will be able to respond to policy announcements immediately rather than waiting for the next working day.

The Sunday timing also gives investors, analysts, and financial institutions additional time to go through detailed proposals, including tax changes, fiscal deficit targets, and sector-wise allocations. The extended window for analysis may help reduce sharp, headline-driven reactions and encourage more informed decision-making.

With fewer competing developments on a non-working day, budget announcements are also expected to receive more focused attention from markets and stakeholders.

Parliamentary schedule and key milestones

The Economic Survey is expected to be tabled on January 29, ahead of the budget presentation. The Budget Session of Parliament began on January 28 with the President’s address to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The upcoming budget will mark Nirmala Sitharaman’s ninth consecutive Union Budget. It will also be India’s 80th budget since Independence. Since 2017, Union Budgets have been presented at 11 am on February 1, following a timing change introduced during the tenure of former finance minister Arun Jaitley.

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Modi says right time to invest in Indian shipping sector; meets global CEOs

Published

3 months ago

on

October 29, 2025

By

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday exhorted global investors to take bets on the Indian shipping sector, pointing out that this is the “right time” for such a move.

The Prime Minister also met a select chief executives of global majors, including DP World and APM, at a specially convened meeting on the sidelines of the India Maritime Week 2025 held here.

“For all of you hailing from different countries, this is the right time to work in the Indian shipping sector and also expand (your presence),” Modi said during a public address before the closed-door meeting with CEOs.

Modi listed several targets being chased by India in the maritime sector over the next few years, and underlined the importance of the global community in the same.

“You all are an important partner who will help us achieve all our aims. We welcome your ideas, innovations and investments,” Modi said.

He said that India allows 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the shipping and ports sector, and also provides incentives under the “Make In India, and Make For The World” vision.

Addressing an audience, including leaders of various companies, the Prime Minister affirmed India’s commitment to strengthening the supply chain resilience at a global level.

He also said that India is engaged in creating world-class mega ports, and cited the work undertaken on the Vadhavan Port to the north of the financial capital, which entered the top-10 firms in the world on the first day.

The government is also looking to grow the capacity at 12 major ports by four times and increase India’s share in containerised cargo at the global level.

Later, Modi held a meeting with top CEOs of shipping sector companies from across the world.

As per people in the know, he met AP Moller-Maersk Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla, DP World Group Chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Mediterranean Shipping Company Chief Executive Soren Toft, Adani Ports and SEZ Managing Director Karan Adani and French company CMA-CGM’s Senior Vice President Ludovic Renou.

The participation from over 85 countries in the IMW sends a strong message, Modi said, noting the presence of CEOs of major shipping giants, startups, policymakers, and innovators at the event.

The Prime Minister also thanked Port of Singapore (PSA) for the nearly Rs 8,000 crore investment in the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority’s fourth terminal, pointing out that this is also the largest FDI in the port sector in India.

Modi said more than 150 new initiatives have been launched under the ‘Maritime India Vision’, resulting in nearly doubling the capacity of major ports, a substantial reduction in turnaround time, and a new momentum in cruise tourism.

—PTI

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