Question

UPSC Prelims 2015 Question:

When the Reserve Bank of India reduces the Statutory Liquidity Ratio by 50 basis points, which of the following is likely to happen?

  1. 1. India's GDP growth rate increases drastically
  2. 2. Foreign Institutional Investors may bring more capital into our country
  3. 3. Scheduled Commercial Banks may cut their lending rates
  4. 4. It may drastically reduce the liquidity to the banking system

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 3: Scheduled Commercial Banks may cut their lending rates

Detailed Solution

Explanation:

  • Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) is a minimum percentage of deposits that a commercial bank has to maintain in the form of liquid cash, gold or other securities. It is basically the reserve requirement that banks are expected to keep before offering credit to customers. These are not reserved with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) but with banks themselves. The SLR is fixed by the RBI. The SLR was prescribed by Section 24 (2A) of Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

  • CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) and SLR have been the traditional tools of the Central Bank's monetary policy to control credit growth, flow of liquidity and inflation in the economy. When RBI decreases SLR, banks get more money to lend to their customers, it provides them stability and the ability to decrease lending rates.

Therefore, option (3) is the correct answer.

Subject: Economics | Money and Banking

Latest UPSC Exam 2026 Updates

Last updated on Sep, 2026

→ UPSC 2027 Notification will be released on 13 January 2027 at upsconline.nic.in.

Prafulla Vats
Prafulla Vats
Prafulla Vats is an experienced SEO and content strategist with over 4 years of expertise in driving organic growth across education and service niches. He specializes in crafting data-driven content strategies that help students and professionals access accurate, well-researched information. Through his work, he focuses on improving visibility, engagement, and trust through high-quality, SEO-optimized content.
UPSC GS Course 2027
UPSC GS Course 2027
₹1,80,000
Enroll Now
GS Foundation Course 2 Yrs
GS Foundation Course 2 Yrs
₹2,45,000
Enroll Now
UPSC Mentorship Program
UPSC Mentorship Program
₹65000
Enroll Now
UPSC Sureshot Mains Test Series
UPSC Sureshot Mains Test Series
₹27000
Enroll Now
Prelims Powerup Test Series
Prelims Powerup Test Series
₹14000
Enroll Now
Enquire Now