Delhi HC Seeks RBI Response On Plea To Make Currency Notes Identifiable By Visually Challenged Persons

Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India to file an affidavit mentioning the steps taken and the proposed steps for making currency notes easily identifiable by visually impaired persons.

In a PIL filed by Rohit Dandriyal, the Petitioners had asked for directions to be issued to the RBI as well as to Union of India for making currency notes and coins, especially for Rupees 50 and below, easily identifiable by persons with visual impairment. In addition to this, the Petitioner had also highlighted recommendations for making ATMs and other banking infrastructure more friendly and easily accessible to visually impaired persons.

The counsel for the RBI had informed the court that the process has already been initiated to mint coins in such a way that they become easily identifiable by knowing the difference in sizes. Moreover, the report of the Amicus Curiae was also highlighted which also talks about identifying different notes by touching and understanding the difference in size. Further, RBI is also developing an app to make identification of currency notes easier for visually impaired persons.

The Division Bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Hari Shankar asked questions about the viability of the steps initiated by the Central Bank. 'How would a mobile app help on identifying physical notes', the court asked. The court also raised concerns about having difference in size as the only identification factor.

The court has asked the Deputy Governor of the RBI to file an affidavit giving the time schedule for work already undertaken and the proposed plans to make the currency identification easier for visually impaired persons.

The next hearing is scheduled to be on November 30.  

The Bombay High Court is also hearing a similar plea.