MUMBAI, July 15 -- The Reserve Bank of India is pushing bank boards away from routine approvals and towards the decisions that can determine a lender's financial soundness, tightening governance rules as regulatory scrutiny of bank leadership intensifies.

The new framework, announced Tuesday, sets out sharper board responsibility for strategy, risk management and corporate governance while allowing routine matters to be delegated to committees or management. The changes take effect on 1 October.

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of governance standards at banks. The abrupt resignation of former HDFC Bank chairman Atanu Chakraborty earlier this year has also drawn attention to bank governance.

Chakraborty resigned on 17 March, say...