5.1.1 Statistical presentation

Data are disseminated on:

1. Spot exchange rates for the rupee with respect to the U.S. dollar, the Euro, the Japanese yen, and the Pound sterling.
2. One-month, three-month, and six-month forward premia on the U.S. dollar.

These market rates are determined by averaging the rates quoted by the major banks involved in foreign exchange operations. Both the buying and selling rates are published.

4.1.1 Periodicity

Daily

4.1.2 Timeliness

Within two weeks after the end of the reference date.

5.1.3 Advance release calendar

An advance release calendar which provides notice of the precise release dates is disseminated on the Reserve Bank of India's Internet website (http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/publicationsView.aspx?Id=8326#5) under the heading "Statistics". A regular notice to this effect is published in the monthly Reserve Bank of India Bulletin.

5.1.4 Simultaneous release

The daily data on the spot exchange rates and the forward premia are released simultaneously to all interested parties by publishing the Weekly Statistical Supplement and by concurrently posting the data on the RBI's Internet website (http://www.rbi.org.in/) under the heading "Database/Weekly".

The data are subsequently published in the monthly Reserve Bank of India Bulletin.

0.1.1 Responsibility for collecting, processing, and disseminating statistics

Reserve Bank of India

The data are compiled and disseminated under the terms and conditions of the Reserve Bank of India Act 1934 and the Banking Regulation Act 1949.

- Section 43 of the RBI Act requires the RBI to publish every two weeks a consolidated statement showing the aggregate liabilities and assets of all scheduled banks, based on the returns and information received from banks.

Exchange rates

The RBI disseminates the daily data on exchange rates as a service to the public.

0.1.2 Data sharing and coordination among data producing agencies

Data sharing and coordination among data producing agencies are adequate.

0.1.3 Confidentiality of individual reporters' data

Reserve Bank of India

Under the terms and conditions of the Reserve Bank of India Act 1934 and the Banking Regulation Act 1949:

- Section 45E of the RBI Act requires the RBI to maintain the confidentiality of the data collected from banks.

- Section 28 of the Banking Regulation Act also requires the RBI to respect the confidentiality of the data collected from banks. This information, however, can be published or disclosed in the public interest in a consolidated form or in accordance with the practice and usage customary among bankers or as required by any law.

0.1.4 Ensuring statistical reporting

Reserve Bank of India

Under the terms and conditions of the Reserve Bank of India Act 1934 and the Banking Regulation Act 1949:

- Section 53 (1) of the RBI Act requires the RBI to provide a weekly statement of accounts of the Issue Department and the Banking Department of the RBI to the Central Government in the form prescribed by the Government, which subsequently publishes the information in the Gazette of India.

0.2.1 Staff, facilities, computing resources, and financing

Adequate resources are available for compilation.

0.2.2 Ensuring efficient use of resources

Existing resources are used efficiently through appropriate hardware and software packages and training.

0.3.1 Monitoring user requirements

User feedback is available through the mechanism of responses from the readers of the RBI publications.

0.4.1 Quality policy

Internal consistency checks are in place to ensure quality of data.

1.1.1 Impartiality of statistics

Data are compiled and assessed by professional economists.

1.2.1 Disclosure of terms and conditions for statistical collection, processing, and dissemination

Reserve Bank of India

The RBI Act 1934 and the Banking Regulation Act 1949 are published in Hindi and English, and copies can be obtained from the Controller of Publications, Government of India, Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, New Delhi, 110001.

1.3.1 Guidelines for staff behavior

Staff compiling data are provided necessary training and are required to maintain strict confidentiality of data.

1.2.2 Internal governmental access to statistics prior to release

Reserve Bank of India

Exchange rates

There is no access by government officials to the data prior to their release to the public.

1.2.3 Attribution of statistical products

There is no ministerial commentary accompanying the release of the data.

4.3.1 Revision schedule

The data are final when first released and are not subject to revision.

1.2.4 Advance notice of major changes in methodology, source data, and statistical techniques.

There have been no changes in methodology in recent years.

5.2.1 Dissemination of documentation on concepts, scope, classifications, basis of recording, data sources, and statistical techniques

Explanatory notes on compilation are published in footnotes to the data published in the RBI's Weekly Statistical Supplement and the monthly Reserve Bank of India Bulletin.

4.2.1 Internal consistency

All efforts are made to ensure consistency of statistics within the data sets.

4.2.2 Temporal consistency

The RBI's annual Handbook of Statistics on the Indian Economy publishes the following:

1. Monthly time series data for the period since March 1992 showing the monthly average and end-month exchange rates for the rupee vis-a-vis SDRs and 4 major currencies;
2. Monthly data for the period since April 1993 on the monthly high and low for SDRs and the exchange rate of the rupee vis-a-vis 4 major currencies;
3. Monthly time series data for the period since March 1993 on the one-month, three-month, and six-month forward premia; and
4. Daily data for the period since April 5, 1999 on the exchange rate of the Rupee vis-à-vis four major currencies;
5. Daily data for the period since April 2, 2002 on the one-month, three-month, and six-month forward premia.