RBI looking to develop app to help visually impaired identify new notes

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has informed the Delhi high court that it is exploring the feasibility of developing a device for the identification of bank notes by the visually impaired.

The RBI informed a bench of chief justice Rajendra Menon and justice V Kameswar Rao that for developing an application, a presentation has also been taken from a mobile app developer, who has developed the app specifically for the identification of notes by the visually impaired.

“Changing design of currency is a serious matter and needs to be considered with respect to its viability, cost and other factors at all levels. The RBI is exploring various alternative options including the feasibility of developing a mechanism/device for identification of denomination of banknotes by the visually impaired,” the RBI said in the affidavit.

RBI’s reply comes on an application filed by advocate Rohit Dandriyal in a pending PIL filed by three advocates, a company secretary and NGO All India Confederation of Blind, who had sought a change in the new currency notes to make them easily identifiable and differentiable for the visually impaired.

The PIL has said visually impaired people were facing hardship in the identification, usage and transaction of the new currency notes of ₹2,000, ₹500, ₹200 and ₹50 denominations.

RBI informed that the introduction of the application requires comprehensive discussion and has to be examined in entirety including possible alternative solutions.

“…the Committee of the Central Board directed to pursue the development of suitable device/mechanism for aiding the visually impaired to identify the denomination of bank notes,” RBI said.

However, it did not recommend the feasibility to print notes in different shapes because of the disadvantages like folded corners being confused with clipped corners, concerns in handling and degradation, creation of false positives, etc.