The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (September 24, 2025) delivered a significant ruling in a batch of petitions filed by visually impaired individuals and advocacy groups.
The petitions challenged the inaccessibility of new currency notes and financial services, arguing that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Union government had failed to ensure full compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
Background
The petitions, some dating back to 2017, highlighted the hardships faced by blind and low-vision persons in identifying new series currency notes especially the ₹50 denomination introduced after demonetisation. Earlier, currency notes varied in size, making it easier for people with visual impairments to differentiate between denominations. But the newer notes were nearly uniform in dimension, causing widespread confusion.
Advocacy groups such as the All India Confederation of the Blind, Blind Graduates Forum of India, and individuals like George Abraham argued that the lack of tactile features, coupled with inconsistent digital solutions, violated their fundamental right to equality. They also demanded that coins, banking apps, ATMs, and payment gateways be redesigned to meet accessibility standards.
Court's Observations
A division bench of Chief Justice Devender Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that accessibility measures should have been proactively introduced without judicial intervention. The bench recalled that in 2022, it had constituted a High Powered Committee involving experts from IIT Delhi, RBI officials, and representatives of visually impaired groups.
This committee, in its 2023 report, recommended clearer tactile markings, uniform sizing, better materials, and full accessibility in digital currency platforms. It also flagged limitations of the RBI’s "MANI" mobile app, which identifies notes but struggles in noisy or outdoor settings.
The RBI, however, cautioned that redesigning the Mahatma Gandhi (New) series notes in the short run would incur massive costs.
"Withdrawal or alteration of currency in the short run would have catastrophic consequences for the public, banks and the economy at large," the RBI submitted, while assuring that accessibility features were being considered for the next series of banknotes.
The bench took note of this but observed,
"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."
Decision
While refraining from issuing a blanket order to redesign existing notes, the High Court directed the RBI to strictly implement accessibility guidelines across the banking sector and to monitor compliance through six-monthly reports from all banks.
On the specific issue of ₹50 notes, the Court held that the RBI and Union government must keep in mind the High Powered Committee’s recommendations when designing the next series of currency, which generally occurs once every decade.
The bench concluded,
"We can only observe that the RBI and the Government of India shall address the difficulties and impediments faced by visually impaired persons before issuing or printing new currency notes."
The petitions were thus disposed of, with the Court expressing "fond hope and positive anticipation" that accessibility will not remain on paper but be implemented in letter and spirit.