Main Note - [About the RBI](About%20the%20RBI.md) Here's how to interpret RBI Circular/Direction Numbering - How to Read It? 1. Format - RBI/[FY]/[Serial] followed by [Department].[Division].[Type].[Number]/[Subject Code]/[FY]` 1. Example: RBI/2025-26/27, DOR.LRG.REC.18/03.10.001/2025-26 ## RBI Circular/Direction Numbering ### 1. Department code The first 3 letters tells you _who_ issued it: 1. DOR - Department of Regulation (rule-making; most Basel/capital/LCR/deposit circulars). 2. DBR - [Department of Regulation (DoR)](Department%20of%20Regulation%20(DoR).md) (older name for DOR, pre-2020 restructuring) 1. Here's how the first 3 letters which stand for the department [have changed](Department%20of%20Regulation%20(DoR).md#Changes%20in%20Circular%20Number) over the time. 3. DBOD - Department of Banking Operations & Development (even older, pre-2016 name) 4. DoS - [Department of Supervision](Department%20of%20Supervision.md) 5. DPSS - Department of Payment and Settlement Systems 6. FMOD - Financial Markets Operations Department (LAF, market ops, forex swaps, etc.) 7. DCM - Department of Currency Management 8. DEPR - Department of Economic and Policy Research ### 2. Division code It is the next 2-4 letters and it tells us the specific desk _within_ that department. 1. LRG - Liquidity Risk Guidelines or Liquidity Risk Group or Liquidity Risk and Governance (LCR, NSFR, ALM) *(UNSURE)* 2. CAP - Capital Adequacy 3. AML - Anti-Money Laundering/KYC 4. CRE - Credit 5. MCS - Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) & Customer Service 6. NBFC - Non-Banking Financial Companies Regulation Division 7. ORG - Outsourcing/Organizational risk 8. FIN - Financial Companies Wing ### 3. Type code 1. REC - Regular circular 2. BC - Banking Circular 3. CC - Cooperative/Non-Banking Company Circular (for NBFCs, co-op banks) 4. DIR - Master Directions or Directions issued under statutory powers (e.g., Banking Regulation Act, RBI Act). 5. NOT - Notifications or Gazetted notifications 6. GDS - Guidelines/Guidance notes ### 4. Running serial number For that FY, e.g., .18, .176 - It seems to be the count of that department's circulars issued that financial year. So in this case, a higher number tells us how active that division has been. ### 5. Subject classification code Here example is 03.10.001 - This seems to be an internal RBI filing/subject-index number. It is roughly similar to a library catalog code ### 6. Financial year Example is 2025-26. It appears twice - once in the RBI serial, once in the department serial - both should match. >[Box X.1 - Podcasts by Central Banks - A Distinct Digital Communication Tool](RBI_Annual%20Report_2025.pdf#page=209&selection=224,0,224,65) in RBI's Annual Report 2025 >Communication Policy of RBI - [Link](https://rbi.org.in/commonman/English/scripts/commpol.aspx) >Section "Communication, International Relations, Research and Statistics" in the Annual Report ## Related Notes 1. [Department of Regulation (DoR)](Department%20of%20Regulation%20(DoR).md) 2. [Department of Supervision](Department%20of%20Supervision.md) 3. [Department of Information Technology](Department%20of%20Information%20Technology.md) 4. [RBI's Communication Policy](About%20the%20RBI.md#RBI's%20Communication%20Policy) in [About the RBI](About%20the%20RBI.md)