BUSINESS CORRESPONDENTS / FACILITATORS Exam Dates – Registration Dates - Schedule & Mock Tests

Certificate Examination for Business Correspondents

[for Payments Banks - Module A and Module B]

Rules & Syllabus 2020

INTRODUCTION

In order to ensure financial inclusion, several initiatives have been taken by the Government of India and Reserve Bank of India. Business Correspondents (BCs) play an important role in achieving financial inclusion. The BCs act as a bridge between Bank branches and the people in the area. A BC is the first point of contact and the front face of the bank branch to the people. In order to enable the BCs to be more effective, they need to be imparted the desired level of knowledge. In this context, the certificate examination of IIBF for the BC’s has the following objective

OBJECTIVE:

This course is aimed at providing the knowledge inputs and skills set to BCs. The structure of the course is, therefore to provide basic knowledge in banking operations and help the BCs in developing an overall understanding of the subject.

SYLLABUS:

RBI has designated IIBF as the sole certifying agency for the banks SCBs (including RRBs), SFBs and the Payments Banks. As the operations of the Payments Banks are limited as compared to the Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs), the syllabus for the BCs of the Payments Banks have been rationalized in consultation with RBI. Accordingly, the syllabus outline for the BCs of the Payments Banks will be as under:

The detailed syllabus for the examination is indicated in Annexure- I

SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION:

Module-A:- Inclusive Banking Thro’ Business Correspondents - Module A
Module-B:- Inclusive Banking Thro’ Business Correspondents - Module B

PASSING CRITERIA:

Minimum pass marks for each module is 40% i.e. 20 out of 50 marks.

ELIGIBILITY:

Module-A is applicable to BC’s of Payments Banks.
Module-B applicable to BCs of Payments Banks who have cleared Module-A and subsequently appointed by SCBs.

MEDIUM OF EXAMINATION:

Examination will be conducted in English, Hindi and other vernacular languages viz., Marathi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Kannada, Oriya, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Assamese. The examination will be conducted in bilingual mode.

PATTERN OF EXAMINATION:

1. For Module A and Module B: for each module Question Paper will contain 50 objective type multiple choice questions for 50 marks.
2. The examination will be held in Online mode only
3. There will NOT be negative marking for wrong answers.

DURATION OF EXAMINATION:

The duration of the examination will be of 1 hour.

Syllabus for the Certificate Examination

Module A : Applicable to BCs of Payments Banks

Particulars

GENERAL BANKING

• Chapter 1: Structure of Indian Banking and Types of Banks
• 1.1 Objectives
• 1.2 Introduction
• 1.3 Need of Banking Services
• 1.4 Meaning of a Bank
• 1.5 Structure of Indian Banking System
• 1.6 Functions of Banks
• 1.7 Regulation and Supervision of Banking in India
• 1.8 Recent Trends in Banking

• Chapter 2: Various Deposit Schemes and other Services
• 2.1 Objectives
• 2.2 Introduction
• 2.3 Types of Deposits
• 2.4 Demand Deposits
• 2.6 Insurance of Bank Deposits by DICGC
• 2.7 Remittances

• Chapter 3: Account Opening, on-Boarding Process, KYC Mechanism and Operations
• 3.1 Objectives
• 3.2 Introduction
• 3.3 Procedure for Opening an Account
• 3.4 Photographs of depositors
• 3.5 Specimen Signature
• 3.6 Power of Attorney
• 3.7 Nomination
• 3.8 Prevention of Money Laundering
• 3.9 RBI Guidelines in regard to Operations in Accounts (excluding paras on Term Deposit Accounts)
• 3.14 Closing an Account

• Chapter 4: Accounting, Finance & Operations
• 4.1 Objective
• 4.2 Introduction
• 4.4 Finance and Operations
• 4.5 What is Interest?(will not include para 4.5.3, 4.5.4 and 4.5.5)

• Chapter 12: Grievance Redressal Mechanism in Banks and Banking Ombudsman Scheme
• 12.1 Objectives
• 12.2 Introduction
• 12.3 Meaning of Grievance
• 12.4 Common Grievances of the Small Customers
• 12.5 Model Policy on Grievance Redressal and its Principles
• 12.6 Customer Complaint
• 12.7 Present Grievance Redressal Mechanism in Banks
• 12.8 Banking Ombudsman Scheme

• Chapter 13: Overview of Financial Market
• 13.5 Banking Sector

FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND ROLE OF BCAs

• Chapter 14: Financial Banking and Banking for the Unbanked
• 14.1 Objectives
• 14.2 Introduction
• 14.3 What is Financial Inclusion?
• 14.4 Need for Financial Inclusion
• 14.5 Present Banking Scenario
• 14.6 Initiatives of Reserve Bank of India
• 14.7 Business Correspondent and Business Facilitator Model
• 14.8 Role of Technology in Financial Inclusion

• CHAPTER 16: Business Correspondent and Business Facilitator (BC/BF) Model: A Vehicle for Financial Inclusion
• 16.1 Objectives
• 16.2 Introduction
• 16.3 Need for the BC/BF Model
• 16.4 Role and Responsibilities of Business Correspondents/ Business Facilitators
• 16.5 Who can be the Business Facilitators?
• 16.6 Who can be Business Correspondents?
• 16.7 Business Facilitators: Scope of Activities
• 16.8 Business Correspondents: Scope of Activities
• 16.9 Business Correspondent v. Business Facilitator
• 16.10 Eligibility Criteria for Engaging Business Correspondents/Business Facilitators

• CHAPTER 17: Risk and Fraud Management
• 17.1 Objectives
• 17.2 Introduction
• 17.4 Risk and fraud from the perspective of BCAs
• 17.5 Risk and Fraud Management
• 17.6 Do's and Don'ts for Business Correspondents and Business Facilitators

• CHAPTER 18: PMJDY, PMJJBY, PMSBY AND APY
• 18.1 Objective
• 18.2 Introduction
• 18.3 Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
• 18.4 Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
• 18.5 Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
• 18.6 Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Chapter 20: Basic Technical Skills (handling Micro-ATMs, Biometric and other Devices, Basic Connectivitv Issues)
• 20.1 Objectives
• 20.2 Introduction
• 20.3 IT Enabled Financial Inclusion Using BC Model
• 20.4 Technology for Low Cost Financial Inclusion

• ANNEXURE 1
• Case 1 - Business Correspondent Model of a Public Sector Bank

• ANNEXURE 2
• Case 2 - IT Enabled Financial Inclusion

• ANNEXURE 3
• Case 3 - Private Sector Bank and Business Correspondent

• ANNEXURE 4
• Case 4 - The Case of a Technology enabled Company offering its service to Banks for Financial Inclusion

• Chapter 21: Digital Banking Products
• 21.1 Objectives
• 21.2 Introduction
• 21.3 Need for Digital Banking
• 21.4 Various types of Cards
• 21.5 Mobile Banking
• 21.6 Internet Banking
• 21.7 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
• 21.8 POS (Point-Of-Sale) Terminals and Micro ATM
• 21.9 Aadhaar Seeding and e-KYC
• 21.10 APBS and AEPS
• 21.11 RuPay Cards
• 21.12 UPI, BHIM and Bharat QR

SOFT SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURAL ASPECTS

• Chapter 22: Communication and Financial Counselling (Including Financial Literacy and Financial Education)
• 22.4 Importance of Financial Education for Banks
• 22.10 Role of RBI in Financial Literacy

• Chapter 23: How to Deal with Different Types of Customers?
• 23.1 Objective
• 23.2 Introduction
• 23.3 Soft skills and hard skills
• 23.4 Soft Skills to Build Relationships
• 23.5 Dealing with different types of customers
• 23.6 How to maintain trust in the client relationship?
• 23.7 How to deal with a complaint?
• 23.8 Do's and Don'ts for handling Customer Complaints
• 23.9 Duties of a Bank

Module B: Applicable to BCs of Payments Banks who have cleared Module A and subsequently appointed by SCBs

Particulars

• Chapter 2: Various Deposit Schemes and other services
• 2.5 Term Deposits (excluding para 2.5.3, on Hybrid Deposits or Flexi Deposits)

• Chapter 4: Accounting, Finance & Operations
• 4.5.3 Fixed and Floating Interest Rates
• 4.6 Equated Monthly Instalment (EMI)

• Chapter 5: Loans Advances : Retail Lending
• 5.1 Objectives
• 5.2 Introduction
• 5.3 Loans and Types of Loans
• 5.4 Retail Lending
• 5.6 Education Loans
• 5.7 Housing Loans
• 5.11 Overdrafts
• 5.13 Micro and Small Enterprises

• Chapter 6: Principles of Sound Lending
• 6.1 Objectives
• 6.2 Introduction
• 6.3 Principles of Lending

• Chapter 9: Kisan Credit Card Scheme
• 9.1 Objective
• 9.2 Introduction
• 9.3 Scheme Details

• Chapter 11: Asset Classification and Methods of Recovery
• 11.1 Objectives
• 11.2 Introduction
• 11.3 Definition of NPA
• 11.4 Asset Classification
• 11.5 Important Aspects of Recovery

• Chapter 13: Overview of Financial Market
• 13.1 Objectives
• 13.2 Introduction
• 13.6 Insurance Market
• 13.7 Pension Market

• Chapter 15: Microfinance and Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
• 15.3 What is Microfinance ?
• 15.8 SHG - Definition

• Chapter 24: Soft Skills and Strategies for Recovery of Bank Loans
• 24.1 Objective
• 24.2 Introduction
• 24.7 Negotiation skills
• 24.8 Dealing with difficult borrowers
• 24.9 Strategy for Recovery
• 24.10 Farmers clubs and SHGs

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