Address Difficulties Of Visually Impaired People Before Printing New Currency Notes: Delhi High Court To Centre, RBI

The Delhi High Court has asked the Central Government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to address the difficulties faced by visually impaired individuals before printing new currency notes.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela aslo asked the authorities to take into account the workable suggestions of the Court appointef High Powered Committee before issuing or printing new currency notes.

The Court passed its order in a batch of petitions, including one by Rohit Dandriyal, seeking directions for making currency notes and coins, especially for ₹50 and below, easily identifiable by persons with visual impairment.

Other PILs were filed by All India Confederation of Blind, Blind Graduates Forum of India and George Abraham.

Disposing of the petitions, the Court perused the report of the High Powered Committee and the various status reports filed by RBI and said that the issues and concerns of the specially abled or visually impaired persons relating to Digital Accessibility have been addressed to a large extent and have been implemented by some Banks.

The Court thus directed 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.

“…we direct that both, the RBI as well as the Government of India, shall address the difficulties and impediments faced by vulnerable class of citizens like the specially abled/visually impaired persons and take into account the workable suggestions of the High Powered Committee before issuing or printing new currency notes. After all, the provisions of the Act have been promulgated by the Government of India to alleviate and assuage the concerns of one of the most vulnerable citizens of this country,” the Court said.

Further, it added that the issue of introducing Digital Currency or issuance of specially designed notes for the benefit of persons with disabilities or the visually impaired falls squarely within the realm of policy-making.

The Court was of the view that such matters involve technical and financial considerations, which is the domain of the Government of India and RBI.

“Thus, any direction in the nature of a mandamus, having regard to the above observations in respect of printing of fresh currency notes in the manner sought by the petitioners, may not be possible to issue,” the Court said.

It added: “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.”

Title: ROHIT DANDRIYAL & ORS v. RESERVE BANK OF INDIA & ANR and other connected matters

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 1184

Click here to read order