Lok Sabha Question No. 3995 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: NPA of Education Loan
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Shri Rakesh Rathor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3995

ANSWERED ON MONDAY, 18   AUGUST, 2025/SRAVANA 27, 1947 (SAKA)

## NPA OF EDUCATION LOAN

## † 3995. SHRI RAKESH RATHOR:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  number  of  applications  received  for  education  loan  and  applications sanctioned along with the details of sanctioned amount during the last 10 years, year-wise and State-wise;
- (b) the number of education loan (including amount) turned into NPA during the said period, year-wise;
- (c) whether several banks have sold their education loan NPAs to private Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) and availed the services of recovery agents in this regard;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the loan amount recovered by them; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  the  fact  that  private  companies  are resorting  to  coercive  means  to  recover  the  loan  amount  and  if  so,  the  reaction  of  the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SH. PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

(a)  to  (e)  As  informed  by  Reserve  Bank  of  India  (RBI),  they  do  not  have  the  required information.  However,  state-wise  number  of  accounts  and  credit  amount  outstanding  for education loans and year-wise Gross NPA of scheduled commercial banks during the last 10 years, as provided by RBI, are placed at Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.

Further, RBI has issued the following instructions against coercive recovery practices by the regulated entities and their recovery agents:

- i. Banks have been advised vide Para 2.5.2 (v) (c) on 'Guidelines on Fair Practices Code for Lenders' of RBI Master Circular DBR.No.Dir.BC.10/ 13.03.00/2015 -16 dated July 1, 2015 on 'Master Circular - Loans and Advances -Statutory and Other Restrictions' that they should not resort to undue harassment viz. persistently bothering the borrowers at odd hours, use of muscle power for recovery of loans, etc.

(Similar instructions have been issued to NBFCs vide Para 45.7.3 of Chapter VII on 'Fair Practices Code' of Master Direction Reserve Bank of India (Non-Banking Financial Company -Scale Based Regulation) Directions, 2023 dated October 19, 2023).

- ii. Further, vide Para 2.6.2 on 'Guidelines on Recovery Agents engaged by banks' of the circular, inter alia, banks have been advised to have a due diligence process in place for engagement of recovery agents, to ensure due notice and appropriate authorization, banks should  inform  the  borrower  the  details  of  recovery  agency  firms  /  companies  while forwarding default cases to the recovery agency, banks should ensure that there is a tape recording of the content / text of the calls made by recovery agents to the customers, and vice-versa,  the up-to-date details of the recovery agency firms / companies engaged by banks should be posted  on the bank's  website,  Each  bank  should  have  a  mechanism whereby the borrowers' grievances with regard to the recovery process can be addressed.
- iii. Banks  have  been  advised  that  they  are  responsible  for  the  actions  of  their  service providers including Recovery Agents. Further, banks have been also advised to strictly ensure that they or their agents do not resort to intimidation or harassment of any kind, either verbal or physical, against any person in their debt collection efforts, including acts intended  to  humiliate  publicly  or  intrude  upon  the  privacy  of  the  debtors'  family members,  referees  and  friends,  sending  inappropriate  messages  either  on  mobile  or through social media, making threatening and / or anonymous calls, persistently calling the  borrower  and  /  or  calling  the  borrower  before  8:00  a.m.  and  after  7:00  p.m.  for recovery of overdue loans, making false and misleading representations, etc.

The above instructions have been issued vide RBI Circular DOR.ORG.REC.65/21.04.158/202223  dated  August  12,  2022  on  'Outsourcing  of Financial Services Responsibilities of Regulated Entities Employing Recovery Agents'.

(Similar instructions have been issued to NBFCs vide Para 5.7.3 of Annex XIII of RBI Master Direction DoR.FIN.REC. No.45/03.10.119/2023-24 dated October 19, 2023, on Master Direction -Reserve Bank of India (Non-Banking Financial Company -Scale Based Regulation) Directions, 2023).

*****

## State-wise Education Loans Details

(No. of Account is in actuals and Amount Outstanding is in Rs. Crores)

| STATE/Uts                 | March 31, 2025   | March 31, 2025     | March 31, 2024   | March 31, 2024     | March           | 31, 2023           | March           | 31, 2022           | March           | 31, 2021           | March           | 31,                | 2020 March      | 31,                | 31, 2019 March   | 2018               | March 31, 2017   | March 31, 2017     | March 31, 2016   | March 31, 2016     | March 31, 2016     | March 31, 2016     | March 31, 2016     | March 31, 2016     |
|---------------------------|------------------|--------------------|------------------|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|------------------|--------------------|------------------|--------------------|------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| STATE/Uts                 | No. of accounts  | Amount Outstanding | No. of accounts  | Amount Outstanding | No. of accounts | Amount Outstanding | No. of accounts | Amount Outstanding | No. of accounts | Amount Outstanding | No. of accounts | Amount Outstanding | No. of accounts | Amount Outstanding | No. of accounts  | Amount Outstanding | No. of accounts  | Amount Outstanding | No. of accounts  | Amount Outstanding | Amount Outstanding | Amount Outstanding | Amount Outstanding | Amount Outstanding |
| CHHATTISGARH              | 18,112           | 1,068              | 17,975           | 932                | 18,199          | 837                | 18,029          | 757                | 19,497          | 763                | 20,977          | 762                | 21,080          | 687                | 20,898           | 625                |                  | 654                | 21,810           | 602                | 602                | 602                | 602                | 602                |
| MADHYAPRADESH             | 68,833           | 4,145              | 69,025           | 3,530              | 68,223          | 3,156              | 66,599          | 2,736              | 68,083          | 2,692              | 73,991          | 2,777              | 74,287          | 2,493              | 78,742           | 82,805             | 2,216            |                    | 86,717           | 2,176              | 2,176              | 2,176              | 2,176              | 2,176              |
| UTTARAKHAND               | 23,990           | 1,443              | 22,093           | 1,211              | 20,390          | 1,055              | 19,204          | 920                | 19,814          | 868                | 22,269          | 894                | 22,589          | 816                | 23,232           | 767                | 24,146           | 730                | 26,507           | 731                | 731                | 731                | 731                | 731                |
| UTTAR PRADESH             | 1,18,256         | 6,575              | 1,15,345         | 5,531              | 1,08,934        | 4,884              | 1,03,842        | 4,346              | 1,09,756        | 4,272              | 1,23,391        | 4,536              | 1,28,300        | 4,293              | 1,35,732         | 1,33,203           |                  | 3,915              | 1,43,399         | 3,925              | 3,925              | 3,925              | 3,925              | 3,925              |
| ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS | 590              | 34                 | 472              | 29                 | 419             | 25                 | 443             | 22                 | 385             | 19                 | 397             | 20                 | 382             | 17                 | 494              | 409                |                  | 14                 | 489              | 15                 | 15                 | 15                 | 15                 | 15                 |
| BIHAR                     | 63,067           | 2,848              | 69,175           | 2,682              | 72,942          | 2,697              | 78,188          | 2,771              | 86,092          | 3,000              | 1,03,380        | 3,301              | 1,17,641        | 3,483              | 1,17,430         | 1,16,791           |                  | 3,526              | 1,22,684         | 3,447              | 3,447              | 3,447              | 3,447              | 3,447              |
| JHARKHAND                 | 42,678           | 2,339              | 41,079           | 2,003              | 40,095          | 1,896              | 39,107          | 1,754              | 40,129          | 1,749              | 44,397          | 1,811              | 45,096          | 1,739              | 47,118           | 1,703              | 48,542           | 1,645              | 50,240           | 1,597              | 1,597              | 1,597              | 1,597              | 1,597              |
| ODISHA                    | 43,566           | 2,185              | 44,405           | 1,888              | 40,591          | 1,711              | 39,654          | 1,554              | 41,393          | 1,560              | 46,646          | 1,557              | 50,828          | 1,583              | 56,914           | 1,635              | 59,563           | 1,619              | 64,054           | 1,672              | 1,672              | 1,672              | 1,672              | 1,672              |
| SIKKIM                    | 563              | 34                 | 484              | 29                 | 458             | 25                 | 478             | 17                 | 468             | 19                 | 497             | 20                 | 489             | 17                 | 479              |                    | 582              | 15                 | 874              | 15                 | 15                 | 15                 | 15                 | 15                 |
| WEST BENGAL               | 1,13,592         | 5,149              | 99,997           | 4,137              | 81,362          | 3,312              | 62,174          | 2,641              | 59,043          | 2,443              | 62,630          | 2,402              | 63,027          | 2,185              | 64,543           | 2,019              | 69,489           | 1,837              | 79,471           | 1,771              | 1,771              | 1,771              | 1,771              | 1,771              |
| CHANDIGARH                | 5,680            | 718                | 5,679            | 605                | 4,811           | 430                | 4,297           | 332                | 4,274           | 276                | 4,176           | 275                | 4,563           | 257                | 4,472            | 234                | 4,454            | 222                | 4,596            | 194                | 194                | 194                | 194                | 194                |
| HARYANA                   | 33,664           | 2,846              | 32,165           | 2,396              | 31,096          | 2,118              | 30,218          | 1,811              | 31,120          | 1,695              | 34,741          | 1,743              | 35,693          | 1,592              | 39,207           | 1,506              | 40,541           | 1,368              | 39,064           | 1,218              | 1,218              | 1,218              | 1,218              | 1,218              |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH          | 13,652           | 644                | 12,813           | 559                | 12,650          | 504                | 12,684          | 461                | 13,694          | 463                | 16,691          | 517                | 17,108          | 490                | 15,920           | 435                | 16,086           | 407                | 16,675           | 396                | 396                | 396                | 396                | 396                |
| JAMMU & KASHMIR           | 16,248           | 850                | 15,609           | 743                | 14,687          | 637                | 13,937          | 547                | 14,464          | 545                | 15,201          | 530                | 14,913          | 465                | 14,554           | 407                | 13,034           | 344                | 12,572           | 311                | 311                | 311                | 311                | 311                |
| LADAKH                    | 51               | 5                  | 50               | 5                  | 47              | 4                  | 37              | 3                  | 41              | 2                  | 45              | 2                  | -               | -                  | -                | -                  | -                | -                  | -                | -                  | -                  | -                  | -                  | -                  |
| NCT OF DELHI              | 46,905           | 5,171              | 43,084           | 4,153              | 38,758          | 3,178              | 35,153          | 2,509              | 33,918          | 2,184              | 35,188          | 2,167              | 33,885          | 1,909              | 33,625           | 1,677              | 31,338           | 1,387              | 31,463           | 1,249              | 1,249              | 1,249              | 1,249              | 1,249              |
| PUNJAB                    | 30,173           | 2,599              | 30,490           | 2,364              | 28,278          | 2,072              | 26,115          | 1,750              | 28,035          | 1,666              | 33,194          | 1,808              | 33,506          | 1,608              | 33,830           | 1,472              | 34,556           | 1,418              | 34,575           | 1,291              | 1,291              | 1,291              | 1,291              | 1,291              |
| RAJASTHAN                 | 46,208           | 3,486              |                  | 2,924              | 44,502          | 2,542              | 45,265          | 2,229              | 46,757          | 2,150              | 52,193          | 2,187              | 53,987          | 1,972              | 57,038           | 1,832              | 58,958           | 1,684              | 63,843           | 1,656              | 1,656              | 1,656              | 1,656              | 1,656              |
| ARUNACHAL                 | 389              | 17                 | 45,128 371       | 16                 | 369             | 14                 | 391             | 14                 | 585             | 26                 | 675             | 29                 | 592             | 21                 | 603              | 18                 | 664              | 18                 | 771              | 20                 | 20                 | 20                 | 20                 | 20                 |
| PRADESH                   | 17,048           | 844                | 15,322           | 686                | 13,910          | 576                | 13,355          | 515                | 14,304          | 539                | 15,830          |                    | 15,945          | 534                | 16,585           | 525                |                  | 483                | 24,949           | 481                | 481                | 481                | 481                | 481                |
| ASSAM                     | 1,231            | 73                 | 1,056            | 58                 |                 |                    | 1,246           | 44                 | 988             | 43                 |                 | 570                | 964             | 40                 | 1,045            | 41                 | 17,221           | 38                 | 1,300            | 40                 | 40                 | 40                 | 40                 | 40                 |
| MANIPUR                   |                  |                    |                  |                    | 957             | 45                 |                 | 157                |                 |                    | 1,067           | 44                 |                 |                    | 3,338            |                    | 1,099 2,835      |                    |                  | 79                 | 79                 | 79                 | 79                 | 79                 |
| MEGHALAYA                 | 3,753            | 241                | 3,294 191        | 181                | 3,366           | 190 9              | 3,258           | 8                  | 3,465           | 148                | 3,673           | 141                | 3,460 490       | 122 15             | 602              | 107                |                  | 86                 | 2,745            | 25                 | 25                 | 25                 | 25                 | 25                 |
| MIZORAM NAGALAND          | 211 585          | 14 28              | 472              | 10 21              | 211 393         | 17                 | 220 360         | 16                 | 333 523         | 13 22              | 376 571         | 13 22              | 489             | 19                 | 446              | 667 15             | 22 434           | 14                 | 790 692          | 19                 | 19                 | 19                 | 19                 | 19                 |
| TRIPURA                   |                  |                    | 3,142            | 119                | 3,005           | 100                | 3,034           | 93                 |                 |                    | 3,622           | 104                | 3,501           | 105                | 3,495            | 104                | 11,238           | 101                | 21,206           | 113                | 113                | 113                | 113                | 113                |
|                           | 3,199            | 135                | 1,94,273         |                    |                 |                    |                 | 6,230              | 3,234           | 95                 | 96,997          | 5,483              | 96,246          | 4,920              | 99,804           | 4,708              | 1,00,281         |                    |                  |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
| ANDHRAPRADESH             | 1,29,133         | 11,932             |                  | 11,059             | 1,35,180        | 8,377              | 94,548          |                    | 90,891          | 5,673              |                 |                    |                 | 6,901              |                  | 6,528              |                  | 4,294              | 1,09,293         | 3,859              | 3,859              | 3,859              | 3,859              | 3,859              |
| KARNATAKA                 | 2,49,637         | 13,609             | 2,37,637         | 11,218             | 2,19,793        | 9,487              | 2,02,509        | 7,878              | 1,86,641        | 7,024              | 2,13,299        | 7,536              | 2,15,261        |                    | 2,18,818         |                    | 2,12,834         | 5,777              | 2,08,867         | 5,099              | 5,099              | 5,099              | 5,099              | 5,099              |
| KERALA                    | 2,92,384         | 17,604             | 2,79,051         | 15,196             | 2,66,429        | 12,921             | 2,55,683        | 10,625             | 2,52,051        | 9,627              | 2,79,794        | 9,792              | 2,98,256        | 9,445              | 3,28,084         | 3,37,949           | 9,372            | 3,48,874           | 9,162            | 9,162              | 9,162              | 9,162              | 9,162              | 9,162              |
| LAKSHADWEEP               | 13               | 0                  | 10               | 0                  | 14              | 1                  | 19              | 1                  | 13              | 1                  | 21              | 1                  | 15              | 1                  | 58               | 16                 | 0                |                    | 19               | 0                  | 0                  | 0                  | 0                  | 0                  |
| PUDUCHERRY                | 6,650            | 355                | 6,882            | 324                | 7,856           | 307                | 8,317           | 302                | 8,833           | 303                | 10,021          | 309                | 11,501          | 319                | 13,348           | 338                | 13,615           | 332                | 14,279           |                    | 325                | 325                | 325                | 325                |
| TAMIL NADU                | 3,48,168         | 14,634             | 4,07,292         | 14,171             | 4,78,786        | 14,306             | 5,26,957        | 14,838             | 5,60,219        | 15,012             | 6,45,284        | 15,937             | 7,06,181        | 16,370             | 8,10,018         | 8,31,345           |                  | 16,816             | 8,56,214         | 15,994             | 15,994             | 15,994             | 15,994             | 15,994             |
| TELANGANA                 | 85,579           | 11,187             | 1,05,392         | 9,738              | 76,342          | 7,269              | 59,420          | 5,238              | 56,684          | 4,503              | 59,846          | 4,357              | 60,199          | 4,099              | 65,279           | 68,410             |                  |                    | 4,138            | 77,081             | 4,198 3,837        | 4,198 3,837        | 4,198 3,837        | 4,198 3,837        |
| HAVELIAND DAMAN AND DIU   | 632              | 44 481             | 576              | 37                 | 502             | 30                 | 459             | 26                 | 451             | 25                 | 502 4,645       | 25                 | 502             | 24                 | 523              | 396                | 15               |                    |                  |                    | 23                 |                    | 423                | 14                 |
| GOA                       |                  |                    |                  |                    | 4,372           | 339                |                 |                    | 4,285           |                    |                 | 219                | 4,708           |                    |                  | 3,427              |                  |                    | 113              | 113                | 113                | 113                | 113                | 113                |
|                           | 5,108            |                    | 4,985            | 407                |                 |                    | 4,151           | 276                | 48,414          | 239                |                 |                    |                 | 183                | 4,393            | 129                | 3,246            |                    |                  |                    | 165                |                    |                    |                    |
| GUJARAT                   | 59,457           | 6,360              | 58,838           | 5,441              | 55,219          | 4,389              | 49,157          | 3,473              |                 | 3,091              | 52,255          | 3,023              | 50,528          | 2,539 49,914       |                  | 47,893             |                  | 1,631              |                  |                    | 2,191              | 1,846              | 49,385             |                    |
| MAHARASHTRA               | 2,28,848         | 19,541             | 2,17,830         | 15,698             | 1,96,193        | 11,605             | 1,78,240        | 9,001              | 1,78,818        | 8,134              | 1,96,525        | 8,176              | 1,98,429        | 7,282 2,04,943     |                  | 5,986              | 1,98,251         | 5,417              | 5,417            | 5,417              | 5,417              | 5,417              | 5,417              | 5,417              |

| Gross NPAs of SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL BANKS (As On) - Education Loans (Amount in Rupees crore)   | Gross NPAs of SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL BANKS (As On) - Education Loans (Amount in Rupees crore)   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| As on                                                                                         | Amount                                                                                        |
| 31-03-2016                                                                                    | 5,006                                                                                         |
| 31-03-2017                                                                                    | 5,339                                                                                         |
| 31-03-2018                                                                                    | 6,071                                                                                         |
| 31-03-2019                                                                                    | 6,323                                                                                         |
| 31-03-2020                                                                                    | 6,017                                                                                         |
| 31-03-2021                                                                                    | 5,801                                                                                         |
| 31-03-2022                                                                                    | 5,741                                                                                         |
| 31-03-2023                                                                                    | 5,815                                                                                         |
| 31-03-2024                                                                                    | 4,338                                                                                         |
| 31-03-2025*                                                                                   | 2,634                                                                                         |

Source: RBI

* The data for March 2025 is provisional