
Details:
- RBI had already transferred Rs 40,000 crore to the Government in August 2018 and with the additional 28,000 the Government would receive a total of Rs 68,000 crore from the Central Bank in the current fiscal.
- This dividend of Rs 68000 will be the highest receipt for the Government from RBI in a single financial year.
- It exceeds the Rs 65,896 crore the Government received in FY16 and Rs 40,659 crore in FY18.
- RBI follows a July-June financial year and usually distributes the dividend in August after annual accounts are finalised.
- RBI is providing the interim dividend for the second consecutive year.
- The RBI had paid Rs 10,000 crore interim dividend in March last year taking the total dividend to Rs 40,659 crore for the year.
- The interim dividend by RBI will help the Government to meet its revised budget estimates that include an allocation for the first-ever income transfer to farmers and to improve the fiscal position ahead of the general elections in 2019.
Tussle over Dividend:
- The RBI and the Central Government were at loggerheads over the issue of payment of dividends.
- The Government had calculated the profit retained by RBI toward risks and reserves in FY17 and FY18 amounting to Rs 27,380 crore and had wanted this transferred to it.
- The Government had asked for an interim surplus transfer as well as the amount retained by the RBI from surpluses of the previous two years.
- To address the issues related to the transfer of dividend comprehensively a committee had been set up RBI under former Reserve Bank of India Governor Bimal Jalan.
Question:
Q. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will transfer Rs 28,000 crore as what to the Government?a. Short Term Loan
b. Interim Dividend
c. Development Fund
d. None of the above