All
I am afraid there are 3 blaring shortcommings in the recommendation:
1 The shape of symbols should not have been there at all in the recommendation.
This is essentially where RBI has been misguided and they take it is a final
act of making the currency accessible. I am extremely disappointed in reading
this.
2 It should have been clearly articulated that the size differentiation should
be of minimum 10 mm to its nearest demonomination. This too was not there.
3 Finally there should have been a recommendation to withdraw all the
inaccessible notes to be phased out in a phased manner expeditiously.
We have clearly lost the battle.
If it all there is something there in the recommendation it is only for the
partially sighted with reference of color differentiation. Totally blind
persons have been miserably sidelined.
>From BGFI we had shared all the good practices and practical recommendation
>after making thorough research on the issue on the list. If only it was looked
>into.
Very, very disappointed.
Harish.
-----Original Message-----
From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
George Abraham
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 3:48 PM
To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning the
disabled. <[email protected]>
Subject: [AI] Report on Accessible currency notes
Hi!
Sharing below the report submitted to the Delhi HC by the Amicus Curie
regarding accessible currency. This report was submitted in the first week of
April 2018. Subsequently, officials of the RBI have been travelling across the
country meeting up with different stakeholder groups and taking suggestions. If
you have any ideas that you might like to share, please feel free to write to
me. Happy to share good and practical ideas with the court as well as RBI.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
WRIT PETITION(C ) NO.10727 OF 2017
IN THE MATTER OF :
All India Confederation of the Blind VS. RBI & Anr.
REPORT OF THE AMICI CURIE ON THE ISSUE OF ACCESSIBILITY OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED
PERSONS TO THE INDIAN CURRENCY
INTRODUCTION:
That Writ petition C No.10727/2017 titled as All India Confederation of the
Blind Vs. Reserve Bank of India & anr. was filed making the following
prayers:
A) issue a writ/ direction/ order in the nature of mandamus and/ or certiorari
directing, commanding and requiring the Respondent no.'s 1 and 2 for ensuring/
changing/ modifying all new legal tender bank notes and coins currently in
circulation to make them easily identifiable and differentiable for all
visually impaired, i.e. blind and those with low vision.; and/ or
B) issue a writ/ direction/ order in the nature of mandamus and/ or certiorari
directing, commanding and requiring the Respondent no.'s 1 and 2 for
withdrawing/ replacing all new legal tender bank notes and coins currently in
circulation in a phase-wise, reasonable and time-bound manner by issuing fresh/
new legal tender bank notes and coins easily identifiable and differentiable
for all visually impaired, i.e. blinds and those with low vision.
Further, Writ Petition ( C) no.9728/2017 titled as Rohit Dandriyal & Ors.
Vs. Reserve Bank of India & Anr. was filed making the following prayers:
a) Direct the respondent No.1 for issue the new Rupee 50/- with
identification mark for visually impaired persons;
b) Direct the respondent No.2 for approve the new Rupees 50 which bearing
the identification mark for visually impaired persons.
c) Direct respondents to withdraw new 50/- rupee note currency without
identification mark for visually impaired persons & also stop the printing of
such currency bank note which is without identification mark for visually
impaired persons.
Thus, while the writ petition C no.10727/2017 covered the broader issue of the
inclusion of features in bank notes and coins which enable the visually
impaired person to identify currency of different denominations, writ petition
(C) No.9728/2017 is restricted to the issue of identification of only 50 rupee
bank note.
Vide order dt.16.2.2018 the undersigned were appointed as amici curie to assist
the court in both the petitions.
Before making recommendations, it is appropriate to give a brief background of
the genesis of the issue involved. Before demonetization, both bank notes and
coins had features such as major difference in size with regard to bank notes
of different denominations and difference in shapes and sizes with regard to
coins of different denominations which enable visually impaired person to
identify currencies of different denominations easily.
However during the process of demonetization and thereater, RBI has issued new
bank notes of Rs.10, 50, 200, 500 & 2000 which is in circulation in the economy
of the country at present. These bank notes do not have features which could
enable visually impaired persons to differentiate between the bank notes of
different denominations. No doubt, there is a very little and insignificant
difference in the size of each denomination of bank notes but i.e. so
negligible that it is difficult to identify bank notes of different
denominations by a visually impaired person. It is claimed that since Rs.50
note is having some embossed markings in the form of straight lines, the same
meets the accessibility requirement of visually impaired person.
However, it is not so. In the first place, the lines / markings cannot sustain
for long and secondly, these markings have no relationship with the
denomination of Rs.50 to enable visually impaired person to understand what it
stands for. Further, for low vision persons, there is no change of colours in
bank notes of different denominations which is essential for them to identify
different denominations bank notes. A perusal of the affidavit filed by RBI
reveals that RBI had consulted National Association for the Blind. However,
there were various suggestions given by National Association for the Blind
which were not taken into account by RBI while issuing bank notes.
LEGAL POSITION
That Section 12 (4)(a) of Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act 2016 which
came into force w.e.f. April 2017, mandates the appropriate Govt. which include
Central Govt. also to take steps to ensure that all their public documents are
in accessible formats. Thus, accessibility to public documents besides other
infrastructure and services for persons with disabilities including visually
impaired persons is a right recognized by Rights of Persons With Disabilities
Act 2016. Further, section 13 of RPD Act 2016 recognizes the rights of persons
with disabilities including visually impaired persons to own or inherit
property, movable or immovable, control their financial affairs and have access
to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial
credit. Thus, ability to identify bank notes of different denominations and
coins of different denominations independently is a right vested in visually
impaired person under the Act. Reserve Bank of India is empowered to issue
bank notes of different denominations on the recommendation of Central Board
U/S 25 of Reserve Bank of India Act 1934. Thus, the bank notes issued by RBI
during and after the demonetization do not meet the accessibility requirements
of persons with visual impairment though the said Right of Accessibility to
bank notes is a right recognized by RBI Act.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
We have examined the pleadings in both the petitions. Before making the
recommendations, we would like to submit that while finalizing the
recommendations, we have tried to balance larger national economic interest and
rights of persons with visual impairment. Further, the recommendations, if
implemented, will also be useful and beneficial for other segments also such as
illiterate particularly urban and rural poor as the issue of identification of
bank notes and currency is also an issue for them. Based on these
considerations, we make the following recommendations:-
1. Central Govt. and Central Board should be directed to provide
distinguishing features in any bank note or coin of different denomination to
be issued hereafter which are identifiable and recognizable easily by visually
impaired persons and also those who cannot read the denominations printed on
the bank notes or engraved on the coins at the time of deciding on the design,
material and form of the bank notes U/s 25 of RBI Act.
2. Whenever existing bank notes and coins are withdrawn from circulation,
they should be substituted by the bank notes or coins having such
distinguishing features as recommended in this report.
3. The distinguishing features on the bank notes of different
denominations may largely be different shapes in the corner of bank notes
coupled with different sizes of bank notes for different denominations.
Further, the colour of bank notes of different denominations should also be
different. In so far as the coins are concerned, the shape of each of
different denomination coin should be different. To illustrate, it may be
considered that bank note of 10 Rupee denomination may have a triangular shape
of left hand top corner of the note. Further, 50 Rupee note may have round
shape of right hand top corner and so on and so forth. The difference in the
sizes of different denomination bank notes should be in the width and not in
the length of bank note. Similarly, one rupee coin may have round shape
whereas two rupee coin may have quadrilateral shape and so on and so forth.
4. It is learnt that RBI proposes to issue plastic currency on an
experimental basis. It is therefore recommended that while issuing plastic
currency / bank notes, the Central Govt. should ensure that recommended
distinguishing features are incorporated in the said currency making it
possible for visually impaired and other segments of the society to identify
and recognize different denominations currency easily and independently.
(S.K. RUNGTA) (GEORGE ABRAHAM)
Senior Advocate & CEO Score Foundation &
Amicus Curie Amicus Curie
IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
WRIT PETITION(C ) NO.10727 OF 2017
IN THE MATTER OF :
All India Confederation of the Blind VS. RBI & Anr.
INDEX
S.NO. PARTICULARS PAGES
1. Report of the Amici Curie on the
issue of accessibility of visually
impaired persons to the Indian currency
(S.K. RUNGTA) (GEORGE ABRAHAM)
Senior Advocate & CEO Score Foundation &
Amicus Curie Amicus Curie
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