Tactile features included in currency notes to help visually impaired persons: RBI informs Bombay High Court

Tactile features included in currency notes to help visually impaired persons: RBI informs Bombay High Court

The bench comprised of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MS Karnik

In pursuant to a public Interest Litigation filed by the National Association of Blind (NAB), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) informed the Bombay High Court that it has included several tactile features in currency notes to help visually impaired persons to easily identify the denomination.

The NAB contended in the PIL that the new currency notes and coins issued by the RBI are unidentifiable for visually impaired persons due to the changes in their physical features.

In response, RBI informed the bench that apart from developing a mobile application, the bank has also consulted various associations working for visually impaired persons. The mobile application will help visually challenged persons to identify currency notes as cash continues to remain to a dominant mode of transaction.

The Counsel for RBI further added that,

"The RBI has developed several tactile features in the currency notes including identification marks and raised lines. The ₹100 note has a triangle and four raised lines, ₹500 note has a circle and five lines and ₹2000 note has a rectangle and seven lines".

"Based on deliberations with the organizations, new features such as bleed lines in higher denomination notes, ascending size of numerals in the number panels, enlarged identification marks were introduced in the banknotes in 2015. The bleed lines do not require braille literacy as these are unique for each denomination and adequate publicity has been given for dissemination of information," the RBI affidavit read.

The PIL also sought withdrawal of coins that are not disabled-friendly and replace them with coins and currency notes with distinctive features.

Petitioner advocate Uday Warunjikar contended before the court that earlier the notes and coins were of different sizes and, hence, easily identifiable.

It was noted by the bench that the issued raised before the court are serious and required further adjudication, therefore Warunjikar was asked to file an affidavit giving further suggestions.