The government has notified the interest rate on Public Provident Fund (PPF), Sukanya Samriddhi Account, Kisan Vikas Patra, National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Other Small Savings Scheme for quarter 1 of the Financial Year 2023-24 to begin from 1st April 2023 and ending on 30th June 2023. Rates of certain small savings schemes increased by 10 bp to 70 bp.
For the first quarter of the fiscal year 2023-24, the interest rate on certain savings schemes has been increased whereas, in the case of the remaining schemes, the rate of interest has been kept unchanged compared to the interest rate notified for the fourth quarter of the FY 2022-23. The increase in rates of interest is ranging from 10 bp to 70 bp. However, there is no decrease in the interest rate in any of the savings schemes for the first quarter of the current fiscal 2023-24 from the interest rates prevailing for the fourth quarter of the preceding fiscal year 2022-23.
The interest rate on these Small Savings Schemes including Public Provident Fund (PPF) has been kept unchanged for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2023-24 commencing from 1st April 2023. PPF will continue to earn interest of 7.1 per cent for the 1st quarter of FY 2023-24. There is a substantial increase in the rate of interest on Sukanya Samriddhi Account (SSA) by 40bp and SSA will fetch the rate of interest at 8% up from 7.6%.
Whereas, the interest rate on Time Deposits of all maturity periods has been increased by 10 bp to 50 bp. The interest rate on 1-year time deposit increased from 6.6% to 6.8%, 2-year time deposit increased from 6.8% to 6.9%, 3-year time deposit increased from 6.9% to 7.0% and 5-year time deposit increased from 7% to 7.5%. Similarly, the rate of interest on the Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) has been increased by 20bp from 8% to 8.2% for the first quarter of FY 2023-24 compared to the rate of interest notified for the fourth quarter of the same fiscal. The interest rate on SCSS also increased in the fourth quarter of FY 2022-23 from 7.6% to 8%. This is the third straight increase in the rate of interest on SCSS.
Further, the rate of interest on the popular Monthly Income Account Scheme (MIS) and the flagship Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) have been revised upward by 30 basis points from 7.1% to 7.4% and by 30 basis points from 7.2% to 7.5% respectively for the 1st quarter (Q1) of the year 2023-24. This is the third upward revision in the interest of MIS and KVP after an increase of interest rate in the fourth quarter.
The government has notified the interest rates on the Small Savings Scheme for the 1st quarter (Q1) of FY 2023-24 on 31.03.2023.
After a long period of the tenth quarter in a row, the government has changed the interest rate on various small savings schemes when the interest rate on certain small savings schemes increased in the last third quarter of FY 2021-22. However, for the most popular PPF scheme, it is the straightforward twelfth quarter for which the rate of interest has been kept unchanged by the government. The rate of interest on the PPF scheme stands at 7.1% for the 1st quarter (Q1) of FY 2023-24.
Other than a few aforesaid schemes, these rates have been kept unchanged and the status quo is maintained for the first quarter. The savings deposit will continue to earn the same rate of interest of 4 per cent.
This was notified by the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance in a Circular dated March 31, 2023.
The interest rate on small savings schemes including PPF is revised on a quarterly basis.
W.e.f. 15.02.2023, for a Term Deposit of 5 years - 10 years term, the State Bank of India is offering an interest rate of 6.50 per cent which is increased by 100 basis points to 7.50 per cent for senior citizen deposit holders. (Source: www.sbi.co.in)
Compared to it, the PPF interest rate stood at 7.1 per cent whereas the 5-year Term Deposit was offering an interest rate of 7.5 per cent. The lowest interest rate it offers for a Term Deposit is 6.8 per cent for 1-year tenure.
The interest rate on the National Savings Certificates has been increased by a substantial 70 bp to 7.7 per cent from 7 per cent.
The Kisan Vikas Patra will earn interest of 7.5% (revised upwards from 7.2 per cent and it will take 115 months to double the principal amount of investment reduced from 120 months previously.
The Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme will continue to fetch a higher rate of interest of 8 per cent compared to other small savings schemes in the general category. There is a 40 bp increase in the rate of interest for Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme in the first quarter compared to 4th quarter.
The flagship scheme for senior citizens namely, Senior Citizen Savings Scheme will fetch an increased rate of interest of 8.2 per cent (up from 8 per cent). In this scheme, interest is paid quarterly.
The interest rate on the 5-year Recurring Deposit Rate has also been increased by 40 bp from an interest rate of 5.8 per cent to 6.2 per cent for the first quarter of the new fiscal 2023-24.
For a 5-year time-deposit, the interest rate is 7.5 per cent. For 1-year, 2-years and 3-year time deposits, the rate of interest is 6.8 per cent, 6.9 per cent and 7 per cent respectively. A similar time deposit of a 5-year Recurring Deposit will earn an interest rate of 6.2 per cent.
For a conservative investor, PPF and other small savings schemes like Sukanya Samriddhi Account and Senior Citizen Savings Scheme offer good returns. These products offer guaranteed, safe, and risk-free returns.
The 5-year Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (MIS), where interest is paid out monthly, offers increased 7.4 percent compared to 7.1 per cent in the preceding fourth quarter.
Small savings rates are revised every quarter and if there is no change in the rates, the finance ministry retains the existing rates.
Comparative Small Savings Scheme Interest Rates for Q4 of FY 2022-23 and Q1 of 2023-24
Recently, the government introduced a new PPF Scheme, 2019 to replace all the previous PPF rules.
Under the new scheme, contributions into a PPF in a year can be deposited without any restriction. Earlier, there was a limit of a maximum of 12 contributions in a year. The maximum amount that can be deposited in a year is capped at Rs. 1,50,000 whereas the minimum amount of contribution is Rs. 500. Any deposit can be made in multiples of Rs. 50, instead of Rs. 5 under the rule of 1968.
Further, a discontinued (dormant) account will also earn the same rate of interest as an active account earns. But a penalty of 1 per cent of the interest rate will be applicable for premature closure of the account. An account can be closed prematurely only after 5 years and under specified circumstances.
Interest on loan taken against the PPF account is reduced by 100 basis points to 1 per cent from 2 per cent earlier.
Prior to 2016, the interest rates were announced once which was applicable for the full year. Interest rates were revised every year. From FY 2016-17, it was decided by the government that the interest rate on small savings schemes will be notified on a quarterly basis.
Similarly, Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme, 2019, Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, 2019, Kisan Vikas Patra Scheme, 2019 were introduced replacing the earlier respective rules.
Update:
The government has issued a Notification on 27.04.2023 to give effect to the changes in interest rates of the Small Savings Scheme for Q1 of FY 2023-24.
Read the full text of the circular:
F.No.1/4/2019-NS
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Economic Affairs
(Budget Division)
North Block, New Delhi
Date: March 31, 2023
Office Memorandum
Subject: Revision of interest rates for Small Savings Schemes-reg.
The rate of interest on various Small Savings Schemes for the first quarter of financial year 2023-24 starting from 1st April, 2023 and ending on 30th June, 2023 have been revised as detailed below:
2. This has the approval of the competent authority.
(Kapil Patidar)
Deputy Secretary (Budget)
Download Circular dated 31.03.2023 notifying interest rate for PPF and Other small savings schemes for Quarter 1 of FY 2023-24 in PDF format
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