Government Securities (G-Sec) UPSC

Government Securities (G-Secs)

A government security (G-Sec) is a debt obligation of the Indian government to fund their fiscal deficit. 

These instruments are tradable and are issued either by the central or the state government. 

These securities are offered for short term as well as long term. 

Short-term instruments with a maturity of less than one year are typically called treasury bills (T-Bills) whereas long-term instruments are called government bonds or dated securities with a maturity of one year or more.

However in India, the central government issues T-Bills as well as bonds or dated securities while the state government issues only the bonds or dated securities called State Development Loans (SDL).

Types of G-Sec

Treasury Bills (T-bills) 

• T-bills are money market short term debt instruments which are issued by the central government in three tenures mainly 91-day, 182-day and 364-day. 
• These instruments are zero coupon bonds which pay no interest but are actually issued at a discount and redeemed at the face value at maturity.

Cash Management Bills (CMBs)

• CMBs are a new short-term instrument having common characteristic of T-Bills but with a maturity of less than 91-days. 
• These instruments are issued to meet the temporary disparity in the cash flow of the government. 
• CMBs too are issued at a discount and redeemed at face value on maturity.

Dated Government Securities

• These instruments are long-term securities which carry a fixed or floating coupon (interest) rate paid on the face value, which is payable at fixed time periods generally half-yearly. 
• The maximum tenure of these securities is 30 years.