Timeline: Changes to reverse repo rate since 2001

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) left its key interest rates unchanged as expected on Tuesday but said policy focus was shifting towards growth, reiterating its October guidance of further easing in the first quarter of 2013 as inflation was seen cooling.

(For main story on RBI rate decision, click reut.rs/U5BxGN)

The Reserve Bank of India held the policy repo rate at 8 percent, and subsequently, the reverse repo rate was left unchanged at 7.00 percent.

(Read what experts say about the RBI's rate decision, click reut.rs/U5CzT6)

The RBI also kept the cash reserve ratio, the share of deposits banks must keep with the central bank in cash, steady at 4.25 percent.

It left the minimum requirement for banks' government bond holdings at 23 percent of deposits.

Following is a timeline of changes to the reverse repo rate since February 2001.

* RATE (percent) EFFECTIVE DATE (day-month-year)

7.00 17-04-2012

7.50 25-11-2011

7.25 16-09-2011

7.00 26-07-2011

6.50 16-06-2011

6.25 03-05-2011

5.75 17-03-2011

5.50 25-01-2011

5.25 02-11-2010

5.00 16-09-2010

4.50 27-07-2010

4.00 02-07-2010

3.75 20-04-2010

3.50 19-03-2010

3.25 21-04-2009

3.50 04-03-2009

4.00 02-01-2009

5.00 08-12-2008

6.00 25-07-2006

5.75 08-06-2006

5.50 24-01-2006

5.25 26-10-2005

5.00 29-04-2005

4.75 27-10-2004

4.50 25-08-2003

5.00 03-03-2003

5.50 30-10-2002

5.75 27-06-2002

6.00 05-03-2002

6.50 28-05-2001

6.75 27-04-2001

7.00 02-03-2001

7.50 20-02-2001

* Note: Prior to October 29, 2004, the reverse repo rate was known as the repo rate. For further details, please see central bank's website: www.rbi.org.in.

(Compiled by Shamik Paul)