Educate youth on credit culture: RBI to banks

Mumbai: Stating that bad loans from education segment are very high, Reserve Bank deputy governor R Gandhi asked credit information companies (CICs) and banks to 'counsel' the youth on good credit behaviour. "The young borrowers are oblivious of consequences of non-repayment on their credit track record. Can CICs and banks look at 'catch them young' policy for credit counseling and developing a credit culture in them?" Gandhi said at a Cibil event here.

"The awareness campaigns need to be focussed on the new generation, even before they enter into a credit relationship," Gandhi added. He said the amount of non-performing assets of educational loans under Rs 4 lakh, which qualifies under the priority sector lending guidelines, was 7.54 per cent as of March 2014 as against the overall average of four per cent.

"Can CICs provide a periodic, non-chargeable credit report to the student loanees and make them aware of their own credit position?" Gandhi asked. The comments come within a fortnight of Governor Raghuram Rajan describing education loans as a ‘complex issue’ as the banks have to manage with the societal needs on one hand and the rising NPAs on the other.

The IIT and IIM-educated Rajan said even though State effectively subsidises educational loans, one of the elite schools he attended has reported a problem on loan non-payment, and added the RBI is reviewing the scheme. The need, Rajan had emphasised, was to track students better which is now possible using the Aadhar number and also have a good system of insurance where the not-so-successful students do not suffer.