State Bank of India Act, 1955

(1) This Act may be called the State Bank of India Act, 1955. (2) It shall come into force on such date2 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- (a) "appointed day" means the date on which this Act comes into force; (b) "Central Board" means the Central Board of Directors of the State Bank; 3 [(bb) "Chairman" means the chairman of the Central Board;] (c) "goods" includes bullion, wares and merchandise; (d) "Imperial Bank" means the Imperial Bank of India constituted under the Imperial Bank of India Act, 1920; (e) "prescribed" means prescribed by regulations made under this Act; (f) "Reserve Bank" means the Reserve Bank of India constituted under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934; (g) "State Bank" means the State Bank of India constituted under this Act; 4 [(h) "subsidiary Bank" means a subsidiary Bank as defined in the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Bank) Act, 1959;] 2 [(i) "vice-chairman" means the vice-chairman of the Central Board;] 5 [(j) "workman" has the meaning assigned to it in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.]

(1) A Bank to be called the State Bank of India shall be constituted to carry on the business of Banking and other business in accordance with the provisions of this Act and for the purpose of taking over the undertaking of the Imperial Bank. (2) The Reserve Bank, together with such other persons as may from time to time become shareholders in the State in accordance with the provisions of this Act, shall, so long as they are shareholders in the State Bank, Constitute a corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal under the name of the State body Bank of India, and shall sue and be sued in that name. (3) The State Bank shall have power to acquire and hold property, whether movable or immovable, for the purposes for which it is constituted and to dispose of the same.

Subject to the provisions of this Act, the authorized capital of the State Bank shall be twenty crores of rupees divided into 6[two crores] of fully paid up shares of 7[ten rupees] each : Provided that the Central Government may increase or reduce the authorized capital as it thinks fit so however that the shares in all cases shall be fully paid up shares of 7[ten rupees] each.

(1) The issued capital of the State Bank shall, on the appointed day, be five crores, sixty-two lakhs and fifty thousand rupees divided into five lakhs, sixty two thousand and five hundred shares, all of which shall, on the appointed day stand allotted to the Reserve Bank in lieu of the shares of the Imperial Bank 8[transferred to and vested in it under section 6]. (2) The Central Board may from time to time increase the issued capital but no increase in the issued capital shall be made in such a manner that the Reserve Bank holds at any time less than fifty-five per cent. of the issued capital of the State Bank. (3) No increase in the issued capital beyond twelve crores and fifty lakhs of rupees shall be made under sub-section (2) without the previous sanction of the Central Government.

to the State Bank (1) Subject to the other provisions contained in this Act, on the appointed day,- (a) all shares in the capital of the Imperial Bank shall be transferred to, and shall vest in, the Reserve Bank, free of all trusts, liabilities and encumbrances, and (b) the undertaking of the Imperial Bank shall be transferred to, and shall vest in, the State Bank. (2) The undertaking of the Imperial Bank shall be deemed to include all rights, powers, authorities and privileges, and all property, movable and immovable, including cash balances, Reserve funds, investments and all other interests and rights in, or arising out of such property as may be in the possession of that Bank immediately before the appointed day, and all books, accounts, and documents relating thereto, and shall also be deemed to include all debts, liabilities and obligations of whatever king then existing of that Bank. 9 [(3) Unless otherwise expressly provided by or under this Act, all contracts, deeds, bonds, agreements, powers of attorney, grants of legal representation and other instruments of whatever nature subsisting or having effect immediately before the appointed day and to which the Imperial Bank is a party or which are in favor of the Imperial Bank shall be of as full force and effect against or in favor of the State Bank, as the case may be, and may be enforced of acted upon as fully and effectually as if instead of the Imperial Bank the State Bank had been a party thereto or as if they had been issued in favor of the State Bank.] (4) If on the appointed day any suit, appeal or other legal proceeding of whatever nature, is pending by or against the Imperial Bank, the same shall not abate, be discontinued or be in any way prejudicially affected by reason of the transfer to the State Bank of the undertaking f the Imperial Bank or of anything contained in this Act, but the suit, appeal or other proceeding may be continued, prosecuted and enforced by or against the State Bank.

of the Imperial Bank to the State Bank (1) Every officer or other employee of the Imperial Bank (excepting the managing director, the deputy managing director and other directors) in the employment of he Imperial Bank immediately before the appointed day shall, on and from theappointed day, become an officer or other employee, as the case may be, of the State Bank, and shall hold his office or service therein by the same tenure, at the same remuneration and upon the same terms and conditions and with the same rights and privileges as topension, gratuity and othermatters as he would have held the same on the appointed day if the undertaking of the Imperial Bank had not vested in the State Bank, and shall continue to do so unless and until his employment in the State Bank is terminated or until his remuneration, terms or conditions are duly altered by the State Bank. (2) Any person who, on the appointed day, is entitled to or is in receipt of, a Pension or other superannuation or compassionate allowance or benefit from the Imperial Bank or any provident, pension or other fund or any authority administering such fund shall be entitled to be paid by, and to receive from, the State Bank or any provident, pension or other fund or any authority administering such fund the same pension, allowance or benefit so long as he observes the conditions on which the pension, allowance or benefit was granted, and if any question arises whether he has so observed such conditions, the question shall be determined by the Central Government and the decision of the Central Government thereon shall be final. (3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), no appointment made or promotion, increment in salary, pension, allowance or any other benefit granted to any person after the 19th day of December, 1954, and before the appointed day which would not ordinarily have been made or granted or which would not ordinarily have been admissible under the rules or authorizations of the Imperial Bank or of any provident, pension or other fund in force prior to the 19th day of December, 1954, shall have effect or be payable or claimable from the State Bank or from any provident, pension or other fund or from any authority administering the fund, unless the Central Government has, by general or special order, confirmed the appointment, promotion or increment or has directed the continued grant of the pension, allowance or other benefit as the case may be. (4) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Industrial disputes Act, 1947, or in any other law for the time being in force, the transfer of the services of any office or other employee of the Imperial Bank from that Bank to the State Bank shall not entitle such officer or other employee to any compensation under that Act or other law, and no such claim shall be entertained by any court, tribunal or other authority. (5) Any person holding office as managing director, deputy managing director, director or member of any Local Board of the Imperial Bank immediately before the appointed day shall be deemed to have vacated his office as such on the appointed day, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or in any other law for the time being in force or in any agreement or contract, he shall not be entitled to any compensation from the Imperial Bank or the State Bank for the loss of office or for the premature termination of any agreement or contract relating to his employment, except such pension, compensation or other benefit which the State Bank May grant to him, having regard to what that person would have received as an officer of the Imperial Bank if this Act had not been passed and if he had retired from his employment in the ordinary course. (6) Where any managing director, deputy managing director, director, officer or other employee of the Imperial Bank has, after the 19th day of December, 1954, and before the appointed day, been paid any sum by way of compensation or gratuity, the State Bank be entitled to claim refund of any sum so paid if the payment is not confirmed by the Central Government by general or special order.

For the persons who immediately before the appointed day are the trustees of the following funds, that is to say,- (a) the Imperial Bank of India Employees Provident Fund; (b) the Imperial Bank of India Employees Pension and Guarantee Fund; (c) the Bank of Bombay Officers Pension and Guarantee Fund; (d) the Bank of Madras Pension and Gratuity Fund; and (e) the Bank of Madras Officers Provident and Mutual Guarantee Fund; there shall be substituted as trustees such persons as the Central Government May, by general or special order, specify.

Bank (1) Every person who immediately before the appointed day is registered as a holder of shares in the Imperial Bank shall be entitled to compensation in accordance with the provisions contained in the first Schedule. (2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall affect the rights inter se between the holder of any share in the Imperial Bank and any other person who May gave an interest in such share, and such other person shall be entitled to enforce his interest against the compensation awarded to the holder of such share, but bot against the Reserve Bank.

(1) Save as otherwise provided in sub-section (2), the shares of the State Bank shall be freely transferable. (2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall entitle the Reserve Bank to transfer any shares held by it in the State Bank if such transfer will result in reducing the shares held by it to less than fifty-five per cent of the issued capital of the State Bank.

No shareholder, other than the Reserve Bank, shall be entitled to exercise voting rights in respect of any shares held by him in excess of ten per cent, of the issued capital: Provided that such shareholder shall be entitled to exercise voting rights at such higher percentage as the Central Government may, after consultation with the Reserve Bank, specify.".

Notwithstanding anything contained in the Acts hereinafter mentioned in this scoring the shares of the State Bank shall be deemed to be included among the securities enumerated in section 20 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, and also to be approved securities for the purposes of the Insurance Act, 1938, and 11[Banking Regulation Act, 1949"].

(1) The State Bank shall keep at its Central Office, a register, in one or more books of the shareholders, and shall enter therein the following particulars so far as they may be available :- (i) the names, addresses and occupations, if any, of the shareholders and a statement of the shares held by each shareholder, distinguishing each share by its denoting number; (ii) the date on which each person is so entered as a shareholder; (iii) the date on which any person ceases to be a shareholder; and (iv) such other particulars as may be prescribed. 13 [Provided that nothing on this sub-section shall apply to the shares held with a depository]. (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), it shall be lawful for the State Bank to keep the registrar of shareholders in computer floppies or diskettes subject to such safeguards as may be prescribed. (3) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, a copy of, or extract from, the registrar of shareholders certified to be a true copy under the hand of an officer of the State Bank authorized in this behalf shall, in all legal proceedings, be admissible in evidence.".