Mission SAKSHAM: RBI Skill Drive for Urban Cooperative Banks
Why in the news
RBI’s capacity-building programme for urban cooperative banks drew attention when Deputy Governor Swaminathan Janakiraman wrote about it on 3 July 2026. He placed it beside the tiered UCB regulations, the umbrella organisation and the new-UCB licensing discussion paper.
Key facts
- Name: Sahakari Bank Kshamta Nirman; “saksham” means capable or competent.
- Launch: 28 April 2026 by Governor Sanjay Malhotra; first announced in the 6 February 2026 MPC.
- Duration: 24 months; target of roughly 1.40 lakh participants.
- Delivery: classroom sessions plus e-learning in English and over a dozen Indian languages.
- Trainees: board members, senior executives, and officers in risk, compliance, audit, IT and cybersecurity.
- Designed with NUCFDC and national and state cooperative federations; a capacity-building and certification framework.
Objectives
- Raise managerial and operational ability.
- Improve compliance culture and institutional resilience.
- Create a continuous learning set-up for stable, healthy growth of the sector.
About Urban Cooperative Banks
- Primary cooperative banks defined under Section 5(ccv) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
- Operate in urban and semi-urban areas; registered under a State Cooperative Societies Act or the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
- Dual control: RBI for banking, and the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS/CRCS) for registration and management.
Four-tier framework (N.S. Vishwanathan Committee, 2021)
| Tier | Deposits | Minimum net worth | CRAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Up to ₹100 crore (includes all unit and salary-earners’ UCBs) | ₹2 crore (single district) or ₹5 crore (others) | 9% |
| Tier 2 | ₹100 crore to ₹1,000 crore | ₹5 crore | 12% |
| Tier 3 | ₹1,000 crore to ₹10,000 crore | ₹5 crore | 12% |
| Tier 4 | Above ₹10,000 crore | ₹5 crore | 12% |
About NUCFDC
- Full name: National Urban Co-operative Finance and Development Corporation Limited, the umbrella organisation for UCBs.
- Set up March 2024, inaugurated by Cooperation Minister Amit Shah; CEO Prabhat Chaturvedi.
- RBI-approved as an NBFC and a self-regulatory organisation for the sector.
- Role: shared services, capital support, liquidity, technology, capacity building and standards.
- Products: Sahakar Digipay and cyber insurance (with New India Assurance and Aon).
Exam angle
- Expansion of SAKSHAM and who launched it (RBI Governor, not the Finance Minister).
- Tier thresholds and CRAR of 9% versus 12%.
- Related terms: NUCFDC, umbrella organisation, January 2026 discussion paper on licensing new UCBs.