Tactile features included in currency notes for visually impaired persons: RBI to HC

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday told the Bombay High Court it has included several tactile features in currency notes for the visually impaired.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik was hearing a petition filed by the National Association of the Blind (NAB) claiming new currency notes and coins posed difficulty for visually-impaired people in identifying and distinguishing them.

The petitioner's advocate, Uday Warunjikar, on Monday told the court earlier notes and coins were of different sizes and, hence, were easily identifiable.

"The RBI, after filing of this plea, developed a mobile application which could be used by visually impaired people," Warunjikar said.

On Monday, senior counsel Venkatesh Dhond, appearing for RBI, informed the court that apart from developing the application, the RBI had also consulted several associations working for the visually-impaired people.

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

The bench said the problems raised in the petition are serious and asked the petitioner to file an affidavit giving further suggestions.