Exclusive: RBI employees stage protest over new promotion policy, say sources

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter told CNBC-TV18 that the agitation marks a rare instance of organised employee dissent at India’s central bank.

Under the existing structure, a Grade B officer designated as Manager becomes eligible for promotion to Grade C — the Assistant General Manager level — after completing seven years of service. However, under the revised system, officers will now have to wait for vacancies to arise, sources said.

This effectively means promotions will depend not on tenure or performance, but on attrition and organisational headcount — factors entirely outside an individual officer’s control. CNBC-TV18 could not independently verify details of the new policy with the RBI.

The RBI’s officer cadre ranges from Grade A to Grade F. Earlier, the Grade B-to-C progression was time-bound and typically took seven years.

The Grade B-to-C transition is considered a critical stage in an RBI officer’s career, marking the move from Manager to the first executive-level position. According to sources, employees believe the change is particularly harsh given the already lengthy career progression timelines within the RBI.

Officers argue that after completing seven years of service, the absence of any certainty around promotions under the new framework fundamentally alters the career proposition at the central bank.

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This is not the first time promotion policies have triggered unrest within the RBI. In December 2018, a circular raising the non-promotion cut-off from the bottom 10% of officers to the bottom 25% had sparked protests, with aggrieved officers demanding a meeting with the then RBI Governor.

The latest protest also comes amid a sharp decline in recruitment through the RBI Grade B examination. Vacancies stood at 294 in 2022 and 291 in 2023, before falling to 94 in 2024. The number recovered slightly to 120 in 2025, but dropped again to just 60 in the current 2026 recruitment cycle — the lowest ever recorded, according to sources.

Applications for the 2026 Grade B examination remain open until May 20.

With fewer officers entering at Grade B and the first internal promotion now linked to vacancies, officers claim the career pipeline is narrowing at both ends simultaneously.

CNBC-TV18 has reached out to the RBI for an official response. This story will be updated upon receipt of a reply.