Where a company makes a repayment of deposits, on the request of the depositor, after the expiry of a period of six months from the date of such deposit but before the expiry of the period for which such deposit was accepted, the rate of interest payable on such deposit shall be reduced by one per cent. from the rate which the company would have paid had the deposit been accepted for the period for which such deposit had actually run and the company shall not pay interest at any rate higher than the rate so reduced :

Provided that nothing contained in this rule shall apply to the repayment of any deposit before the expiry of the period for which such deposit was accepted by the company, if such repayment is made solely for the purpose of—

(a) complying with the provisions of rule 3; or

(b) providing war risk or other related benefits to the personnel of the naval, military or air forces or to their families, on an application made by the associations or societies formed by such personnel, during the period of emergency declared under article 352 of the Constitution :

Provided further that where a company referred to in under sub-section (2) of section 73 or any eligible company permits a depositor to renew his deposit, before the expiry of the period for which such deposit was accepted by the company, for availing of a higher rate of interest, the company shall pay interest to such depositor at the higher rate if such deposit is renewed in accordance with the other provisions of these rules and for a period longer than the unexpired period of the deposit.

Explanation: For the purposes of this rule, where the period for which the deposit had run contains any part of a year, then, if such part is less than six months, it shall be excluded and if such part is six months or more, it shall be reckoned as one year.