NABARD celebrated its 45th Foundation Day on July 12, 2025. Established on July 12, 1982, under the NABARD Act, 1981, it was set up on the recommendations of the Shivaraman Committee. The J&K Regional Office held a special programme in Jammu. NABARD functions as the apex development bank for agriculture, rural industries, and cooperative credit. It currently refinances rural financial institutions and supervises RRBs and cooperative banks across India.

NABARD's 45th Foundation Day marks over four decades of its pivotal role in India's rural credit architecture. Born out of the B. Sivaraman Committee's (1979–81) recommendation to create a dedicated apex institution for agriculture and rural development, NABARD was carved out of RBI and IDBI's agricultural credit functions. Its mandate spans refinancing cooperative banks, RRBs, and microfinance institutions; supervising state cooperative banks and district central cooperative banks (DCCBs); and channelling long-term credit for rural infrastructure through RIDF (Rural Infrastructure Development Fund). Over 45 years, NABARD has evolved beyond credit: it drives SHG-Bank Linkage (world's largest microfinance programme), funds FPOs, implements PMKISAN, and monitors Kisan Credit Cards. Its off-budget financing through NABARD has been used to fund rural roads and irrigation under schemes like PMGSY and AIBP. The institution also plays a supervisory role under Section 35 of the Banking Regulation Act for cooperative banks — a power often tested in exams. With Rs. 16.39 lakh crore in cumulative refinance disbursed historically and growing emphasis on climate finance and digital rural credit, NABARD's relevance has only expanded. Foundation Day events typically spotlight annual report data — NABARD Grade A aspirants must track these.