To help people whose cash flows and incomes were suddenly disrupted by COVID-19 and the attendant lockdown, the Reserve Bank of India, back in March, announced a loan moratorium scheme. The scheme was initially for three months, from March to May.

It was then extended for another three months, till August 31. Now, as we enter the last month of this extension, there is yet another round of debate on whether the moratorium scheme should get another extension, say, till December. So long as the moratorium is in place, and people aren’t tested for their ability to repay, banks have no way to know how many more of their loans have gone bad.

Should the moratorium be extended or not? What are the issues involved in either of the two options? What’s at stake for the banks? What does it mean for the consumer? What does it mean for the economy?

Guest: Vivek Kaul, columnist and personal finance expert, bestselling author of The Easy Money Trilogy and Bad Money: Inside the NPA Mess and How it Threatens the Indian Banking System.

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