5.1.1 Statistical presentation

• There are two publications relating to the reserve assets:
  
  (1) Gross Foreign Exchange Reserves of the Reserve Bank of India, released weekly, and
  (2) Data Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity, released monthly.
  
• Data are disseminated in millions of U.S. dollars and crores of rupees (one crore=10 million rupees) on the gross foreign exchange reserves of India (comprising gold held by the Reserve Bank of India, foreign exchange held by the Reserve Bank of India and SDRs).
  
  The weekly data on international reserves do not include the reserve position with the IMF. The monthly data on the Data Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity include the IMF reserve position.
  
• Data are released in millions of US dollars only on the Data Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity.

4.1.1 Periodicity

• Weekly (every Friday) for the international reserves; and

• Monthly (on the last working day) for the Data Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity.

4.1.2 Timeliness

• One week after the end of the reference Friday with respect to international reserves.

• On the last working day of the month following the reference month for the Data Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity.

5.1.3 Advance release calendar

An advance release calendar which provides one-quarter-ahead notice of the precise release dates is disseminated on the Reserve Bank of India's Internet website (http://www.rbi.org.in/) under the heading "Statistics / Weekly". A regular notice to this effect is published in the monthly Reserve Bank of India Bulletin.

5.1.4 Simultaneous release

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

The monthly Data Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity is also released via the link ( http://www.rbi.org.in/index.dll/7?OpenSection?fromdate=01/01/99&todate=12/31/03&
s1secid=20&s2secid=6&archivemode=0) on the RBI's Internet website.

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.

International reserves and foreign currency liquidity

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.

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.

1.2.2 Internal governmental access to statistics prior to release

Reserve Bank of India

International reserves and foreign currency liquidity

4.3.1 Revision schedule

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

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

Data are compiled according to the 5th edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual. The reserve position in the IMF is not included under gross international reserves whereas this is included in the Data Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity.

The methodology used for compilation is indicated in footnotes in the monthly Reserve Bank of India Bulletin and in the Data Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity.

4.2.2 Temporal consistency

• The monthly Reserve Bank of India Bulletin publishes weekly data for recent weeks and monthly (month-end) time series data for the current fiscal year on: gold; SDRs; and foreign exchange.
  
• The RBI Annual Report publishes quarterly time series data for the latest fiscal year and the previous 2 fiscal years on: gold; SDRs; foreign exchange; and the reserve position with the Fund.
  
• The RBI's annual Handbook of Statistics on the Indian Economy publishes monthly data for the period since April 1990 showing:
  
  (1) gold;
  (2) SDR's, and
  (3) foreign exchange, and weekly data since April 1, 1999.