The Indian government has decided to keep the interest rates for various small savings schemes, including the Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), and Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS), unchanged for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2025-26, spanning from January 1 to March 31, 2026. This decision, announced by the Ministry of Finance on December 31, 2025, marks the seventh consecutive quarter where these rates have remained stable. For the Public Provident Fund (PPF), the interest rate will continue to be 7.1% per annum. The National Savings Certificate (NSC) will retain an interest rate of 7.7%. The Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) and the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) will both continue to offer an attractive 8.2% interest, making them among the highest-yielding options within the small savings basket. Other schemes also see no change: the Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS) remains at 7.4%, Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) at 7.5% (maturing in 115 months), and Post Office Time Deposits ranging from 6.9% to 7.5% depending on tenure, with a 5-year recurring deposit at 6.7% and the Post Office Savings Account at 4%. This consistency provides stability for conservative investors and those relying on fixed-income returns, such as retirees. Despite some market indicators potentially suggesting rate adjustments, the government prioritized maintaining stable returns to support savers.