A message is being spread across social media stating that writing anything on a currency note makes the note illegitimate or invalid. Although this message might be spreading in the last few days, this myth has existed for the longest period, even offline.
The message states that such notes have been deemed invalid following the new guidelines put forth by the Reserve Bank of India. However, the PIB fact check, which was conducted by the government, has called out the news to be fake.
“NO, Bank notes with scribbling are not invalid & continue to be legal tender,” said PIB in a tweet.
Does writing anything on the bank note make it invalid❓#PIBFactCheck
✔️ NO, Bank notes with scribbling are not invalid & continue to be legal tender
✔️Under the Clean Note Policy, people are requested not to write on the currency notes as it defaces them & reduces their life pic.twitter.com/V8Lwk9TN8C
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) January 8, 2023
“Under the Clean Note Policy, people are requested not to write on the currency notes as it defaces them & reduces their life.”, the tweet continued.
A similar fake message circulated in 2015. The message said that the RBI would stop accepting currency notes with any writing on them. Besides, it also claimed that the Indian government is losing over Rs. 2,638 crore each year due to people scribbling on the notes. Even then the Reserve Bank of India intervened and called out the false news.
Although writing on notes is not punishable by law, people are discouraged from doing so. Since the Clean Note Police, which was issued in 1999, the RBI has been overlooking the notes in circulation.
The policy urged the people to not write anything on a currency note, and also instructed the bank to provide an exchange for soiled and mutilated notes.
In another order, the RBI asked the banks to give only good-quality notes and coins to the public.
