Question map
With reference to the 'Banks Board Bureau (BBB)', which of the following statements are correct? 1. The Governor of RBI is the Chairman of BBB. 2. BBB recommends for the selection of heads for Public Sector Banks. 3. BBB helps the Public Sector Banks in developing strategies and capital raising plans. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2 (2 and 3 only). The Banks Board Bureau (BBB), now replaced by the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), was established based on the recommendations of the P.J. Nayak Committee to improve governance in Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
- Statement 1 is incorrect: The Chairman of the BBB is not the Governor of the RBI. The Chairman is an eminent person/professional appointed by the Central Government, often a former bureaucrat or veteran banker.
- Statement 2 is correct: A primary function of the BBB is to recommend candidates for the selection of heads (MDs and CEOs) and whole-time directors for PSBs and other public financial institutions.
- Statement 3 is correct: Beyond recruitment, the BBB was mandated to advise PSBs on developing business strategies, organizational restructuring, and formulating effective capital-raising plans to strengthen their balance sheets.
Thus, statements 2 and 3 accurately reflect the mandate of the BBB, making Option 2 the right choice.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Body-Composition-Mandate' question. The trap in Statement 1 is a recurring UPSC template: swapping the specific Chairman of a specialized body with a generic high-profile figure like the PM or RBI Governor. If you knew BBB was created to 'professionalize' appointments (Indradhanush reforms), you would deduce it needs an independent chair, not the regulator itself.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India the Chairman of the Banks Board Bureau (BBB)?
- Statement 2: Does the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) recommend candidates for the selection or appointment of heads of Public Sector Banks in India?
- Statement 3: Does the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) help Public Sector Banks in India to develop strategic plans?
- Statement 4: Does the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) assist Public Sector Banks in India with capital raising plans or strategies?
- Explicitly names the Banks Board Bureau chief as an individual (Vinod Rai), indicating the BBB has its own chief/chairman.
- Naming a specific person as BBB chief implies the role is distinct and not automatically held by the RBI Governor.
- States the BBB 'started functioning... as an autonomous recommendatory body and has seven members, including the chairman', indicating an independent chairman position.
- Mentions cooperation with the RBI and government, but lists secretaries as members — suggesting the chairman is part of the bureau's own membership, not necessarily the RBI Governor.
States BBB 'comprises a Chairman and six members' and names the present chairman (Bhanu Pratap Sharma), implying the bureau has a distinct, named chair.
A student could check if the named chairman is the RBI Governor (using a current roster or list of RBI governors) to see if the posts coincide.
Describes BBB as an autonomous recommendatory body set up by the government to handle PSB governance and appointments.
A student could infer that 'autonomous' bodies often have independent chairs appointed by government and then verify appointment rules to see if RBI Governor typically holds that chair.
Notes institutional change: BBB was replaced by FSIB from 1 July 2022, indicating BBB is a government-created institutional entity distinct from RBI structures.
Using this, a student could check whether the RBI Governor commonly chairs similarly created government bureaus or if separate leadership is installed.
Explains the Governor draws powers from the RBI Act, is appointed by the PM in consultation with the FM, and emphasizes RBI governance is separate (Governor and deputy governors form functional leadership distinct from a central board).
A student could use this separation of RBI authority to argue chairing an external bureau (like BBB) is not automatic and then verify statutory membership/appointment provisions of BBB.
States the central board of RBI includes the governor and deputy governors as members appointed by the government under RBI Act, highlighting the specific statutory basis for RBI offices.
A student could contrast the statutory basis for RBI offices with appointment provisions for BBB chair to test whether the RBI Governor legally occupies the BBB chair by virtue of office.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements.
This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.
Login with Google to unlock study guidance.
Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.
Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts.
Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.
Login with Google to unlock The Vault.