Rules Changing From October 01: Starting October 1, 2025, several key changes will come into effect across banks, regulatory bodies, and government services. These updates cover banking charges, pension
scheme rules, cheque clearing, postal services, and railway ticketing systems.
HDFC Bank Imperia Programme
HDFC Bank has notified its Imperia customers that new eligibility criteria for maintaining Total Relationship Value (TRV) will be effective from October 1, 2025. For customers who enrolled in the Imperia programme on or before June 30, 2025, the revised norms will apply from this date.
RBI Cheque Clearing System
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will shift cheque handling from the batch clearing method to a continuous clearing system with settlement upon realisation. The transition will occur in two phases—Phase 1 from October 4, 2025, to January 2, 2026, and Phase 2 starting January 3, 2026.
Punjab National Bank (PNB) Service Charges
PNB will revise several charges effective October 1, 2025. The changes cover locker rentals, standing instruction (SI) failure fees, nomination charges, and stop payment instructions. While stop payment fees remain unchanged, locker charges have increased significantly based on locker size and branch location.
IRCTC General Ticket Booking Rules
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will enforce new rules for booking general tickets online via its website and app starting October 1, 2025. The updated guidelines—applicable to Aadhaar-authenticated users—are intended to curb misuse of the reservation system.
YES Bank Salary Account Charges
YES Bank will revise its Smart Salary account charges from October 1, 2025. The changes will affect cash transaction fees, ATM withdrawal limits, debit card charges, and penalties for cheque returns.
India Post Speed Post Updates
India Post will revise Speed Post tariffs from October 1, 2025. Pricing will now be more transparent with GST shown separately. The service will also introduce OTP-based delivery for enhanced security and reliability.
PFRDA CRA Charges
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) will implement revised charges for Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs) managing accounts under NPS, NPS Lite, NPS Vatsalya, Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY). These will apply across both online and offline services.
NPS–UPS Switching Deadline
September 30, 2025, is the last date for Central Government employees to switch between the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) and the National Pension System (NPS). After this date, switches between the two schemes will no longer be permitted. Employees opting to move back from UPS to NPS must do so at least one year before retirement or three months before taking Voluntary Retirement (VRS).
NPS Equity Investment Option
Non-government NPS subscribers will be allowed to invest up to 100% of their contributions in equities under a single plan from October 1, 2025. Additionally, they will be able to hold multiple schemes under one PRAN across different CRAs, following the newly introduced multi-scheme framework.
