Delhi HC asks RBI, Centre to address issues faced by disabled before issuing new currency

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to address the difficulties and impediments faced by persons with disabilities (PWDs) or visually impaired persons before issuing or printing new currency notes.

After all, the provisions of the RBI Act have been promulgated by the central government to alleviate and assuage the concerns of one of the most vulnerable citizens of this country, the high court said.

Perusing the reports of the court-appointed high-powered committee and the RBI, the court opined that issues and concerns of the PWDs or visually impaired persons relating to digital accessibility have been addressed to a large extent and appear to have been implemented by some banks.

"In this regard, we direct the RBI to ensure that the suggestions of the committee as well as its own suggestions and directions issued to various banks be scrupulously implemented and monitored or supervised by it.

"The RBI must obtain six (6) monthly reports from various banks as to the progress made by each of such banks till it is finally implemented or the goal reached," a bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said in its judgment.

The court passed the verdict disposing of a batch of petitions, including one by advocate Rohit Dandriyal, seeking directions for making currency notes and coins, especially for Rs 50 and below, easily identifiable by persons with visual impairment.

The other petitions were filed by All India Confederation of Blind, Blind Graduates Forum of India and George Abraham.

Regarding the Rs 50 currency note to be aligned with the need of identification by PWDs or visually impaired persons is concerned, the bench said the RBI has given extensive details as to the benchmarks already available in the present currency notes.

It noted that the printing of new currency notes after alignment with the suggestions of the committee may entail huge costs running into thousands of crores and the recall and destruction of prevalent currency would itself entail huge costs and time.

"We can only observe that the RBI and the Government of India shall keep in mind and take into consideration the suggestions of the high powered committee as and when the Government of India and RBI decide to print fresh currency," the bench said, noting that as per the RBI, such exercise is usually carried out once in 10 years or so.

It further directed the RBI and the Centre to address the difficulties and impediments faced by vulnerable class of citizens like the PWDs/visually impaired persons and take into account the workable suggestions of the committee before issuing or printing new currency notes.

The court observed that the issue of introducing digital currency or issuance of specially designed notes for the benefit of PWDs or the visually impaired falls squarely within the realm of policy-making.

It said such matters involve technical and financial considerations, which is the domain of the Centre and the RBI and issuance of any direction in this manner may not be possible.

"We thus, with fond hope and in positive anticipation of implementation of the suggestions of the high powered committee, dispose of the present Public Interest Petition," the bench said. PTI SKV SKV MNK MNK