CAIIB BRBL Key Sections & Numbers Cheat Sheet 2026 — SARFAESI, NI Act & KYC/AML on One Page
Quick Answer: This is the complete CAIIB BRBL key-sections-and-numbers reference — every section number, threshold, and timeline from our three BRBL deep-dive guides (SARFAESI & NI Act, KYC, AML & Consumer Protection, and Commercial Laws) on one page. No explanations, no worked examples — just the section, what it covers, and the exact figure IIBF tests. Use it for final-week revision.
CAIIB BRBL Key Sections & Numbers Cheat Sheet 2026 — SARFAESI, NI Act, KYC/AML & More on One Page
BRBL is a numbers-and-sections paper, not a formulas paper — the exam tests whether you can recall the exact section number, the exact day-count, and the exact monetary threshold under time pressure. This page compiles every verified figure from our three published BRBL deep-dive articles into seven scannable tables: SARFAESI Act, NI Act, KYC/AML (PMLA), Consumer Protection Act, Contract Act, Transfer of Property Act, and Limitation Act. Each figure below is already fact-checked in the source guide it’s pulled from — where a figure has since changed (noted explicitly below), we’ve used the current position, not the stale one.
1. SARFAESI Act 2002
| Section | Covers | Key Number |
|---|---|---|
| Sec 13(2) | Demand notice to borrower/guarantor to discharge liability | 60 days |
| Sec 13(3A) | Bank’s reply to borrower’s representation/objection | 15 days |
| Sec 13(4) | Enforcement powers — possession, management takeover, appoint manager | After 60 days, if unpaid |
| Sec 14 | CMM/DM assistance for possession if borrower resists | — |
| Sec 17 | Borrower’s appeal to DRT after Sec 13(4) possession | 45 days |
| Sec 18 | Appeal to DRAT against DRT order (50% debt deposit, min 25%) | 30 days |
| Sec 31 | Exclusions — agricultural land, debt ≤ ₹1 lakh, lien, set-off | ₹1 lakh |
2. Negotiable Instruments Act 1881
| Section | Covers | Key Number |
|---|---|---|
| Sec 8 / 9 | Holder vs Holder in Due Course (HDC gets better title) | — |
| Sec 138 | Payee’s demand notice after cheque dishonour memo | Within 30 days |
| Sec 138 | Drawer’s window to pay after receiving notice | 15 days |
| Sec 138 | Complaint in Magistrate’s court after 15-day expiry | 1 month |
| Sec 138 | Punishment on conviction | Up to 2 yrs / fine up to 2× cheque amount / both |
| — | Cheque validity period from date of issue | 3 months |
| — | Days of grace — PN / BoE (none for cheques) | 3 days |
3. KYC, AML & PMLA 2002
| Item | Covers | Key Number |
|---|---|---|
| CTR | Cash Transaction Report to FIU-IND — filed within 15 days of month-end | ≥ ₹10 lakh |
| STR | Suspicious Transaction Report — no tipping-off allowed | No threshold — within 7 working days of suspicion |
| Beneficial Ownership | UBO identification — unlisted companies / trusts | ≥ 25% |
| Beneficial Ownership | UBO identification — listed companies / partnership firms | ≥ 15% |
| KYC re-verification | Low / Medium / High risk customers | 10 / 8 / 2 years |
| PMLA Sec 4 | Punishment for money laundering | RI 3–7 yrs (up to 10 yrs for Schedule 1/drug offences) |
| PMLA Sec 12 | Reporting entities must retain records | 5 years |
4. Consumer Protection Act 2019
| Forum | Covers | Pecuniary Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|
| DCDRC (District) | District-level consumer complaints, incl. deficient banking service | Up to ₹50 lakh |
| SCDRC (State) | State-level, appeals from District | ₹50 lakh – ₹2 crore |
| NCDRC (National) | National-level, appeals from State | Above ₹2 crore |
| Limitation | Time to file complaint from cause of action | 2 years |
5. Indian Contract Act 1872
| Section | Covers | Key Point |
|---|---|---|
| Sec 124 | Indemnity — 2 parties, primary liability | 2 parties |
| Sec 126 | Guarantee — Creditor, Principal Debtor, Surety; secondary liability | 3 parties |
| Sec 129 / 130 | Continuing guarantee; revocation by notice (future txns only) | — |
| Sec 133 | Surety discharged if creditor varies terms without consent | — |
| Sec 148 / 172 | Bailment (general) vs Pledge (security-specific) — every pledge is a bailment | — |
| Sec 182 | Agency — bank collecting a cheque acts as customer’s agent | — |
| — | Contract with a minor | Void ab initio (not voidable) |
6. Transfer of Property Act 1882
| Mortgage Type | Key Feature |
|---|---|
| Simple Mortgage | No possession delivered; remedy on default = sue for sale through court |
| Mortgage by Conditional Sale | Ostensible sale, void on repayment / absolute on default |
| Usufructuary Mortgage | Possession + rents/profits to mortgagee in lieu of interest; no personal liability |
| English Mortgage | Personal covenant + absolute transfer, subject to reconveyance on repayment |
| Equitable Mortgage ★ | Deposit of title deeds — no registered deed. Most common type in bank lending. |
| Anomalous Mortgage | Any combination not fitting the above five categories |
7. Limitation Act 1963
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Limitation period — banking debts | 3 years from due date / last acknowledgement / part payment |
| Sec 18 — Acknowledgement | Signed written acknowledgement before expiry restarts the 3-year clock |
| Sec 19 — Part payment | Part payment recorded/signed before expiry also restarts the clock |
| Effect of expiry | Debt not extinguished — becomes time-barred; creditor loses the court remedy only |
All BRBL Numbers — One Reference Table
| Law / Section | Event / Trigger | Number |
|---|---|---|
| SARFAESI Act 2002 | ||
| Sec 13(2) | Demand notice period | 60 days |
| Sec 13(3A) | Bank’s reply to objection | 15 days |
| Sec 17 | Appeal to DRT after possession | 45 days |
| Sec 18 | Appeal to DRAT | 30 days |
| Sec 31 | Minimum applicable debt | > ₹1 lakh |
| RDDBFI Act 1993 | ||
| DRT jurisdiction | Minimum debt for DRT (else civil court) | ≥ ₹20 lakh |
| NI Act 1881 — Sec 138 | ||
| Payee’s notice after dishonour | Mandatory pre-condition | 30 days |
| Drawer’s payment window | After receiving notice | 15 days |
| Complaint filing | After 15-day expiry | 1 month |
| Cheque validity | From date of issue | 3 months |
| Banking Regulation Act 1949 / RBI Act 1934 | ||
| BR Act Sec 17 — Statutory Reserve | % of net profits annually | 25% |
| BR Act Sec 24 — SLR | Statutory Liquidity Ratio | 18% |
| RBI Act Sec 42 — CRR | Cash Reserve Ratio | 4% |
| KYC / PMLA 2002 | ||
| CTR threshold | Cash transactions in a month | ≥ ₹10 lakh |
| CTR / STR filing deadline | From month-end / from suspicion confirmed | 15 days / 7 working days |
| STR threshold | Any suspicious transaction | NONE |
| UBO threshold — unlisted / listed | Beneficial ownership identification | 25% / 15% |
| PMLA Sec 12 — records retention | From date of transaction | 5 years |
| Consumer Protection Act 2019 (as revised by 2021 Rules) | ||
| District Commission | Pecuniary jurisdiction | Up to ₹50 lakh |
| State Commission | Pecuniary jurisdiction | ₹50 lakh – ₹2 crore |
| National Commission | Pecuniary jurisdiction | Above ₹2 crore |
| Complaint limitation | From cause of action | 2 years |
| Contract Act 1872 / Limitation Act 1963 | ||
| Guarantee (Sec 126) parties | Creditor, Principal Debtor, Surety | 3 |
| Indemnity (Sec 124) parties | Indemnifier, Indemnified | 2 |
| TP Act — mortgage types | Total categories | 6 |
| Limitation period — banking debt | Suit for recovery | 3 years |
Frequently Asked Questions — BRBL Key Sections & Numbers
Which BRBL law contributes the most exam-tested numbers?
SARFAESI Act and NI Act Section 138 between them generate the highest volume of timeline-based questions — the 60/15/45/30-day SARFAESI sequence and the 30/15/1-month Section 138 sequence are near-certain to appear in some form. KYC/AML thresholds (CTR ₹10 lakh, STR no-threshold, UBO 25%/15%) are the next most frequently tested cluster. Prioritise memorising these two clusters first.
Are the Consumer Protection Act thresholds on this page the original 2019 Act figures or the current ones?
Current. The 2019 Act’s original text set District/State/National at ₹1 crore / ₹1–10 crore / above ₹10 crore, but the Consumer Protection (Jurisdiction) Rules, 2021 revised these to ₹50 lakh / ₹50 lakh–₹2 crore / above ₹2 crore, effective 30 December 2021. IIBF questions test the current position, so use the 2021 Rules’ figures — District up to ₹50 lakh, State ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore, National above ₹2 crore.
Is the DRT jurisdiction threshold (₹20 lakh) the same as the SARFAESI minimum debt (₹1 lakh)?
No — these are two separate Acts with two separate thresholds, and IIBF frequently tests the distinction. SARFAESI (Sec 31) requires the outstanding debt to exceed only ₹1 lakh before a bank can enforce security without court intervention. RDDBFI Act 1993 requires the debt to be ≥ ₹20 lakh before a Debt Recovery Tribunal has jurisdiction — below that, the bank must go to a civil court. A bank can use SARFAESI on a ₹5 lakh secured NPA, but cannot file that same case at DRT.
Why does Equitable Mortgage dominate the Transfer of Property Act questions in BRBL?
Because it’s the mortgage type banks actually use most — created simply by depositing title deeds, with no registered deed or stamp duty, at a notified town. IIBF tests it more than the other five mortgage types combined, usually by asking you to identify it from a fact pattern (“bank accepted original property documents without a registered deed”) or to distinguish it from a Simple Mortgage (which does require a registered deed and court action to enforce).
0 Comments