(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM)
Asset Quality Review (AQR) carried-out in 2015 for clean and fully provisioned bank balance-sheets revealed high incidence of NPAs. Expected losses on stressed loans, not provided for earlier under flexibility given to restructured loans, were reclassified as NPAs and provided for. PSBs initiated cleaning-up by recognising NPAs and provided for expected losses. The gross NPA ratio for Public Sector Banks (PSBs) as a category is 14.6% in the financial year (FY) 2017-18, as per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data. In the last 25 financial years, the gross NPA ratio for PSBs was highest in FY 1993-94 at 24.8% and was also higher in six other financial years.

Bank-wise details of gross NPAs as of March 2018, and operating profit, provision done and net profit/loss in FY 2017-18, are given below.

Sources:RBI (global operations, provisional data for Mar-2018)

While banks have posted operating profits, their net losses are primarily on account of continuing ageing provision for NPAs recognised as a result of AQR initiated in 2015 and subsequent transparent recognition by banks.