Change set

Pick exam & year, then Go.

Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
Q34 (IAS/2022) Economy › Money, Banking & Inflation › Banking regulation reforms Official Key

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:

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
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.

How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
69%
got it right
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest preview
Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to the 'Banks Board Bureau (BBB)', which of the following statements are correct? 1. The Governor of RBI is the Chairman …
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 7.5/10 · 2.5/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This 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.

How this question is built

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)?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Banks Board Bureau chief Vinod Rai."
Why this source?
  • 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.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"The bureau started functioning from April 1, 2016 as an autonomous recommendatory body and has seven members, including the chairman."
Why this source?
  • 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.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 7: Money and Banking > 7.36 Indian Economy > p. 192
Strength: 5/5
“• BBB comprises a Chairman and six members (out of which three are ex-officio). The present chairman of BBB is Bhanu Pratap Sharma. BBB is headquartered in Mumbai.”
Why relevant

States BBB 'comprises a Chairman and six members' and names the present chairman (Bhanu Pratap Sharma), implying the bureau has a distinct, named chair.

How to extend

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.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 7: Money and Banking > Banks Board Bureau > p. 191
Strength: 4/5
“• Based on the recommendations of P.J. Nayak Committee, Banks Board Bureau (BBB) was set up in 2016 as an autonomous recommendatory body to improve the governance of Public Sector Banks (PSBs). • BBB was also one of the seven aspects of the Indradhanush plan of Government which deals with revival of PSBs. • The main function of BBB is to recommend the name of Heads of PSBs and financial institutions. Moreover, it also advises on ways of raising funds and dealing with the issue of stressed assets.”
Why relevant

Describes BBB as an autonomous recommendatory body set up by the government to handle PSB governance and appointments.

How to extend

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.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 3: Money and Banking - Part II > P J NAYAK Committee > p. 129
Strength: 3/5
“And once BIC is set up, BBB will be dissolved. In line with the recommendations of the P J Nayak committee and with a view to improve the Governance of Public Sector Banks (PSBs), the GoI appointed an autonomous Banks Board Bureau (BBB) but it was later on replaced by Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) from 1st July 2022.”
Why relevant

Notes institutional change: BBB was replaced by FSIB from 1 July 2022, indicating BBB is a government-created institutional entity distinct from RBI structures.

How to extend

Using this, a student could check whether the RBI Governor commonly chairs similarly created government bureaus or if separate leadership is installed.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 3: Money and Banking - Part II > Reserve Bank of India > p. 130
Strength: 4/5
“He draws his powers from the RBI Act and not from the Central Board. He is appointed by the Prime Minister in consultation with the Finance Minister. The RBI Board has no say whatsoever in his appointment. In a company, the board of directors chooses one of its own to be appointed as the managing director. In the RBI, the Governor secures board membership only after he is appointed to the post. It is, thus, wrong to compare a corporate board to the RBI's and suggest that the Governor is subservient to it. In RBI, policy decisions are taken by the Governor with its 4 deputy governors and the (Central) Board is just engaged in providing a broader vision to the RBI.”
Why relevant

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).

How to extend

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.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 2: Money and Banking- Part I > 2.14 RBI and its Functions > p. 65
Strength: 3/5
“The objective of RBI is "to regulate the issue of Bank notes and keeping of reserves with a view to securing monetary stability in India and generally to operate the currency and credit system of the country to its advantage; to have a modern monetary policy framework to meet the challenge of an increasingly complex economy, to maintain price stability while keeping in mind the objective of growth; to maintain macroeconomic stability and financial stability." The RBI affairs are governed by a central board of directors (Maximum 21 in number including the governor and four deputy governors who are also on the central board) who are appointed by the government of India in keeping with the Reserve Bank of India Act 1934 for a period of 4 years.”
Why relevant

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.

How to extend

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.

How to study

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.

Micro-concepts

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.

The Vault

Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.

Login with Google to unlock The Vault.

✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

5 Cross-Linked PYQs

UPSC repeats concepts across years. Login to see how this question connects to 5 others.

Login with Google