Priority Sector Lending Certificates

Priority Sector Lending Certificates are a tool for promoting comparative advantages among banks while they meet their priority sector lending obligations in India. "Banks with a comparative advantage in lending to the priority sector should earn priority sector lending certificates [social credits] while those falling short of the target would be required to buy priority sector lending certificates [social credits]." "A forward market for Priority Sector Lending Certificates [social credits] will help banks to focus and plan better." Total credit extended by banks in priority sector lending was INR 21,543,562.9 million (US$322,361 million as of June 2016) towards the end of financial year 2015.

Source: Wikipedia — Priority Sector Lending Certificates (CC BY-SA 4.0)