The rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will be meeting five times in FY21, against seven in FY20.

Monetary Policy tools are all-time favourites of UPSC. Kindly go through the link given in the Back2Basics section.

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is a committee of the RBI, which is entrusted with the task of fixing the benchmark policy interest rate (repo rate) to contain inflation within the specified target level.
• The RBI Act, 1934 was amended by Finance Act (India), 2016 to constitute MPC to bring more transparency and accountability in fixing India’s Monetary Policy.
• The policy is published after every meeting with each member explaining his opinions.
• The committee is answerable to the Government of India if the inflation exceeds the range prescribed for three consecutive months.
• Suggestions for setting up a Monetary policy committee is not new and goes back to 2002 when YV Reddy committee proposed to establish an MPC, then Tarapore committee in 2006, Percy Mistry committee in 2007, Raghuram Rajan committee in 2009 and then Urjit Patel Committee in 2013.

Composition and Working

• The committee comprises six members – three officials of the RBI and three external members nominated by the Government of India.
• The meetings of the Monetary Policy Committee are held at least 4 times a year and it publishes its decisions after each such meeting.
• The Governor of RBI is the chairperson ex officio of the committee.
• Decisions are taken by a majority with the Governor having the casting vote in case of a tie.
• They need to observe a “silent period” seven days before and after the rate decision for “utmost confidentiality”.

Back2Basics

Monetary Policy tools and Money Supply in India

Also read:

How reverse repo rate became benchmark interest rate in the Indian economy?

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now