Regional rural banks (RRBs) operate in rural areas across the country. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) is in charge of conducting Officer and Office Assistant Examinations in various RRBs. IBPS is one of the largest banking sector organizations in India, which conducts the IBPS RRB Examination across the country.
Introduction of regional rural banks
• As the name suggests, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) are established to provide banking services to regional areas.
• RRBs are government-owned scheduled commercial banks of India.
• Most RRBs operate at the regional level in different states of India. However, several RRBs have branches in urban areas as well.
• These banks are under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• Originally they were created to facilitate basic banking as well as financial services in rural areas.
Total regional rural banks in India
• Currently there are 43 regional rural banks in India.
• The first Regional Rural Bank was the Prothma Bank of Uttar Pradesh.
• 5 Regional Regional Rural Banks were established on 2 October 1975.
Merger of regional rural banks
• In January 2013, 25 RRBs were merged into 10 RRBs, totaling 67 RRBs.
• As of March 2016, there were 56 RRBs, covering 525 districts with a network of 14,494 branches.
• As of 1 April 2020, there are 43 RRBs in India.
List of regional rural banks in India
| Sl. No. | Name of Regional Rural Bank | Sponsor Bank | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank | State Bank of India | Telangana |
| 2 | Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank | Canara Bank | Andhra Pradesh |
| 3 | Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank | State Bank of India | Arunachal Pradesh |
| 4 | Aryavart Bank | Bank of India | Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 | Assam Gramin Vikash Bank | Punjab National Bank | Assam |
| 6 | Bangiya Gramin Vikash Bank | Punjab National Bank | West Bengal |
| 7 | Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank | Bank of Baroda | Gujarat |
| 8 | Baroda Rajasthan Kshetriya Gramin Bank | Bank of Baroda | Rajasthan |
| 9 | Baroda UP Bank | Bank of Baroda | Uttar Pradesh |
| 10 | Chaitanya Godavari Grameena Bank | Union Bank of India | Andhra Pradesh |
| 11 | Chhattisgarh Rajya Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Chhattisgarh |
| 12 | Dakshin Bihar Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Bihar |
| 13 | Ellaquai Dehati Bank | State Bank of India | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 14 | Himachal Pradesh Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Himachal Pradesh |
| 15 | J&K Grameen Bank | J&K Bank Ltd. | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 16 | Jharkhand Rajya Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Jharkhand |
| 17 | Karnataka Gramin Bank | Canara Bank | Karnataka |
| 18 | Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank | Canara Bank | Karnataka |
| 19 | Kerala Gramin Bank | Canara Bank | Kerala |
| 20 | Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank | Bank of India | Madhya Pradesh |
| 21 | Madhyanchal Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Madhya Pradesh |
| 22 | Maharashtra Gramin Bank | Bank of Maharashtra | Maharashtra |
| 23 | Manipur Rural Bank | Punjab National Bank | Manipur |
| 24 | Meghalaya Rural Bank | State Bank of India | Meghalaya |
| 25 | Mizoram Rural Bank | State Bank of India | Mizoram |
| 26 | Nagaland Rural Bank | State Bank of India | Nagaland |
| 27 | Odisha Gramya Bank | Indian Overseas Bank | Odisha |
| 28 | Paschim Banga Gramin Bank | UCO Bank | West Bengal |
| 29 | Prathama UP Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Uttar Pradesh |
| 30 | Puduvai Bharthiar Grama Bank | Indian Bank | Puducherry |
| 31 | Punjab Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Punjab |
| 32 | Rajasthan Marudhara Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Rajasthan |
| 33 | Saptagiri Grameena Bank | Indian Bank | Andhra Pradesh |
| 34 | Sarva Haryana Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Haryana |
| 35 | Saurashtra Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Gujarat |
| 36 | Tamil Nadu Grama Bank | Indian Bank | Tamil Nadu |
| 37 | Telangana Grameena Bank | State Bank of India | Telangana |
| 38 | Tripura Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Tripura |
| 39 | Utkal Grameen Bank | State Bank of India | Odisha |
| 40 | Uttar Banga Kshetriya Gramin Bank | Central Bank of India | West Bengal |
| 41 | Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank | Central Bank of India | Bihar |
| 42 | Uttarakhand Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Uttarakhand |
| 43 | Vidharbha Konkan Gramin Bank | Bank of India | Maharashtra |
State-wise List of Regional Rural Banks in India
Regional Rural Banks in Andhra Pradesh
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank | Syndicate Bank | Kadapa |
| Chaitanya Godavari Grameena Bank | Andhra Bank | Guntur |
| Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank | State Bank of India | Kadapa |
| Saptagiri Grameena Bank | Indian Bank | Chittor |
Regional Rural Banks in Arunachal Pradesh
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank | State Bank of India | Naharlagun |
Regional Rural Banks in Assam
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Assam Gramin Vikash Bank | United Bank of India | Guwahati |
| Langpi Dehangi Rural Bank | State Bank of India | Diphu |
Regional Rural Banks in Bihar
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank | Central Bank of India | Muzaffarpur |
| Bihar Gramin Bank | UCO Bank | Patna |
| Madhya Bihar Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Patna |
Regional Rural Banks in Chhattisgarh
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Chhattisgarh Rajya Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Raipur |
Regional Rural Banks in Gujarat
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank | Bank of Baroda | Bharuch |
| Dena Gujarat Gramin Bank | Dena Bank | Gandhinagar |
| Saurashtra Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Rajkot |
Regional Rural Banks in Haryana
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Sarva Haryana Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Rohtak |
Regional Rural Banks in Himachal Pradesh
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Himachal Pradesh Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Mandi |
Regional Rural Banks in Jammu and Kashmir
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Ellaquai Dehati Bank | State Bank of India | Srinagar |
| J&K Grameen Bank | J&K Bank Ltd. | Jammu |
Regional Rural Banks in Jharkhand
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Vananchal Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Ranchi |
| Jharkhand Gramin Bank | Bank of India | Ranchi |
Regional Rural Banks in Karnataka
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Pragathi Krishna Gramin Bank | Canara Bank | Ballari |
| Kaveri Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Mysuru |
| Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank | Syndicate Bank | Dharwad |
Regional Rural Banks in Kerala
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Kerala Gramin Bank | Canara Bank | Mallapuram |
Regional Rural Banks in Madhya Pradesh
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Narmada Jhabua Gramin Bank | Bank of India | Indore |
| Central Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank | Central Bank of India | Indore |
| Madhyanchal Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Sagar |
Regional Rural Banks in Maharashtra
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Vidarbha Konkan Gramin Bank | Bank of India | Nagpur |
| Maharashtra Gramin Bank | Bank of Maharashtra | Aurangabad |
Regional Rural Banks in Manipur
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Manipur Rural Bank | United Bank of India | Imphal |
Regional Rural Banks in Meghalaya
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Meghalaya Rural Bank | State Bank of India | Shillong |
Regional Rural Banks in Uttar Pradesh
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Gramin Bank of Aryavart | Bank of India | Lucknow |
| Allahabad UP Gramin Bank | Allahabad Bank | Banda |
| Baroda Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank | Bank of Baroda | Raebareli |
| Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank | Union Bank of India | Varanasi |
| Sarva UP Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Meerut |
| Prathama UP Gramin Bank | Syndicate Bank | Moradabad |
| Purvanchal Bank | State Bank of India | Gorakhpur |
Regional Rural Banks in Mizoram
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Mizoram Rural Bank | State Bank of India | Aizawl |
Regional Rural Banks in Tamil Nadu
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Pallavan Grama Bank | Indian Bank | Salem |
| Pandyan Grama Bank | Indian Overseas Bank | Virudhunagar |
Regional Rural Banks in Nagaland
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Nagaland Rural Bank | State Bank of India | Kohima |
Regional Rural Banks in Odisha
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Utkal Grameen Bank | State Bank of India | Bolangir |
| Odisha Gramya Bank | Indian Overseas Bank | Bhubaneshwar |
Regional Rural Banks in Tripura
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Tripura Gramin Bank | United Bank of India | Agartala |
Regional Rural Banks in Uttarakhand
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Uttarakhand Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Dehradun |
Regional Rural Banks in Puducherry
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Puduvai Bharathiar Grama Bank | Indian Bank | Puducherry |
Regional Rural Banks in Telangana
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Telangana Grameena Bank | State Bank of India | Hyderabad |
Regional Rural Banks in Punjab
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Kapurthala |
| Malwa Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Sangrur |
| Sutlej Gramin Bank | Bhatinda |
Regional Rural Banks in Rajasthan
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office |
|---|---|---|
| Baroda Rajasthan Kshetriya Gramin Bank | Bank of Baroda | Ajmer |
| Rajasthan Marudhara Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Jodhpur |
Regional Rural Banks in West Bengal
| Name of RRB | Sponsor Bank | Head Office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bengal | Bangiya Gramin Vikash Bank | United Bank of India | Murshidabad |
| Paschim Banga Gramin Bank | UCO Bank | Howrah | |
| Uttarbanga Kshetriya Gramin Bank | Central Bank of India | Coochbehar |
Functions of regional rural banks in India
• The area of operation is limited to the area notified by the government of India covering, and it covers one or more districts in the State.
• RRBs provide the following under basic banking facilities_______
• RRBs perform several functions such as providing banking facilities to rural and semi-urban areas.
Carrying out government operations such as
- Disbursement of wages of MGNREGA workers
- Distribution of pensions
Providing para-banking facilities like
- Locker facilities
- Debit and credit cards
- Mobile banking
- Internet banking
- UPI services
History of regional rural banks in India
• Regional Rural Banks were established under the provisions of an Ordinance passed on 26 September 1975.
• As a result, five RRBs were set up on 2 October 1975.
• These 5 RRBs were established on the recommendation of the Narasingham Committee.
• In India, regional rural banks were established during Indira Gandhi’s government.
• The objective was to bring rural areas into the economic mainstream as about 70% of the Indian population was rural.
List of First 5 regional rural banks in India
• The first five regional rural banks were established on 2 October 1975.
• Prothma Bank of Uttar Pradesh (head office Moradabad) was India’s first RRB.
• Prothma Bank was sponsored by Syndicate Bank and had an authorized capital of Rs. 5 crore rupees.
| Sl. No. | Name of Regional Rural Bank | Sponsor Bank | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prathama Bank | Syndicate Bank | Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh |
| 2 | Gaur Gramin Bank | UCO Bank | Sahajadpur, West Bengal |
| 3 | Gorakhpur Kshetriya Gramin Bank | State Bank of India | Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh |
| 4 | Haryana Kshetriya Gramin Bank | Punjab National Bank | Haryana |
| 5 | Jaipur-Nagaur Anchalik Gramin Bank | UCO Bank | Jaipur, Rajasthan |
Owner of Regional Rural Banks
• RRBs were owned by the Central Government, State Governments, and Sponsor Banks with 50%, 15%, and 35% shareholding respectively.
Key points about regional rural banks in India
• RRBs are scheduled commercial banks.
• The RRB is regulated by NABARD.
• As on 1 April 2020, the number of RRBs in India stands at 43.
• Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of RRBs (4).
• There may be one or more RRBs in a particular state.
• They operated at the regional level.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about regional rural banks in India
Q1. Regional rural banks are sponsored by _
Answer: In RRBs, 15% stake is held by the state government, 50% by the central government, and 35% by the sponsor bank.
Q2. Authorised capital of regional rural banks should be _
Answer: Authorised capital of each RRB to be Rs five crore.
Q3. How many regional rural banks in India?
Answer: 43 (As of 1 April, 2020)
Q4. Regional rural banks were set by the
Answer: Like other public sector Banks RRBs are established by Government of India and are scheduled & notified by Reserve Bank of India.
Q5. What is the purpose behind the establishment of regional rural banks?
Answer: It provides basic banking facilities in rural areas like locker facilities, debit and credit cards, mobile banking, internet banking, UPI services.
Q6. In India regional rural banks were constituted in:
Answer: Regional Rural Banks were set up on 1975.
Q7. Which committee recommended the setup of regional rural banks?
Answer: Regional Rural Banks were set up on the basis of the recommendations of the Narasimham Committee.
Q8. Regional rural banks were established in the year:
Answer: 1975
Q9. Who is the supervisor of regional rural banks in India?
Answer: Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) operates under the supervision of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development)
Q10. Regional rural banks are also known as?
Answer: Regional Rural Banks have been termed as small man’s banks.
Q11. Which was the first RRB in India?
Answer: The Prathama Grameen Bank was the first bank to be established on 02nd October 1975.
