14Business of the National Housing Bank

Subject to the provisions of this Act, the National Housing Bank may transact all or any of the following kinds of business, namely:--

(a) promoting, establishing, supporting or aiding in the promotion, establishment and support of housing finance institutions;

¹[(b) making of loans and advances or rendering any other form of financial assistance whatsoever for housing activities to housing finance institutions, scheduled banks, state cooperative agricultural and rural development banks or any other institution or class of institutions as may be notified by the Central Government;

(ba) making of loans and advances for housing or residential township-cum-housing development or slum clearance projects;]

(c) subscribing to or purchasing stocks, shares, bonds, debentures and securities of every other description;

(d) guaranteeing the financial obligations of housing finance institutions and underwriting the issue of stocks, shares, bonds, debentures and securities of every other description of housing finance institutions;

(e) drawing, accepting, discounting or rediscounting, buying or selling and dealing in bills of exchange, promissory notes, bonds, debentures, hundies, coupons and other instruments by whatever name called;

²[(ea) buying, selling or otherwise dealing in any loans or advances secured by mortgage or charge of the immovable property relating to scheduled banks or housing finance institutions;

(eb) creating one or more trusts and transferring loans or advances together with or without securities therefor to such trusts for consideration;

(ec) setting aside loans or advances held by the National Housing Bank and issuing and selling securities based upon such loans or advances so set aside in the form of debt obligations, trust certificates of beneficial interest or other instruments, by whatever name called, and to act as trustee for the holders of such securities;

(ed) setting up of one or more mutual funds for undertaking housing finance activities;

(ee) undertaking or participating in housing mortgage insurance;]

³[(f) promoting, forming, conducting or associating in the promotion, formation or conduct of companies, mortgage banks, subsidiaries, societies, trusts or such other association of persons as it may deem fit for carrying out all or any of its functions under this Act;]

(g) undertaking research and surveys on construction techniques and other studies relating to or connected with shelter, housing and human settlement;

(h) formulating one or more schemes, for the purpose of mobilisation of resources and extension of credit for housing;

⁴[(hh) formulating a scheme for the purpose of accepting deposits referred to in clause (a) of section 2 of the Voluntary Deposits (Immunities and Exemptions) Act, 1991 (47 of 1991) and crediting forty per cent. of the amount of such deposits to a special fund created under section 37;]

(i) formulating one or more schemes; for the economically weaker sections of society which may be subsidised by the Central Government or any State Government or any other source;

(j) organising training programmes, seminars and symposia on matters relating to housing;

(k) providing guidelines to the housing finance institutions to ensure their growth on sound lines;

(l) providing technical and administrative assistance to housing finance institutions;

(m) co-ordinating with the Life Insurance Corporation of India the Unit Trust of India, the General Insurance Corporation of India and other financial institutions, in the discharge of its overall functions;

(n) exercising all powers and functions in the performance of duties entrusted to the National Housing Bank under this Act or under any other law for the time being in force;

(o) acting as agent of the Central Government, the State Government or the Reserve Bank or of any authority as may be authorised by the Reserve Bank;

(p) any other kind of business which the Central Government may, on the recommendation of the Reserve Bank, authorise;

(q) generally, doing of all such matters and things as may be incidental to or consequential upon the exercise of its powers or the discharge of its duties under this Act.