Yesterday, the Bombay High Court asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to consider suggestions of an expert committee appointed by Delhi High Court to make visually- challenged friendly currency notes and coins.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin M Jamdar and Justice Arif S Doctor was hearing a PIL filed by the National Association of the Blind (NAB), through advocate Uday Warunjikar, who raised the issue that people with visual impairment cannot identify the new currency notes and coins issued by the RBI.

The petition asked the court to issue directions to the Central bank to take appropriate action under the Coinage Act, 1906, withdraw all disabled-friendly coins and replace them with coins and currency notes with distinctive features.

The court perused the report of the committee, which observed that the size and width of the currency are now almost identical and the tactile features are not as effective as they do not sustain for a long time. The committee also suggested usage of plastic, stating that it may support tactile marking.

Senior advocate Venkatesh Dhond, representing the RBI, submitted that he would have to examine what parts of the reports can be considered and which are the ones that cannot be adopted. After Warunjikar insisted for an affidavit from the RBI accepting the suggestions, the bench said that the RBI has a “delicate task” before it.

The RBI argued that change of size of currency is not easy and there are several difficulties as there are 13, 621 of currency notes in circulation worth Rs 33, 48, 228 crore and the committee has not considered the enormity of the same. The lawyer representing the Minting Corporation pointed to a new series of visually impaired friendly coins of denomination of Rs. 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20.

The bench noted there is not much difference in the weight and size and the Minting Corporation has sought to overcome the issue by providing serrated borders to coins.

After the petitioner submitted that serration gets aberrated, the bench noted there is no data on how much percentage of coins get aberrated. The court asked the Minting Corporation to file an additional affidavit and posted the matter for further hearing to July 19.