Will scribbling on bank notes make them invalid? Here's what RBI says

Hyderabad: A viral screenshot claims that the Reserve Bank of India has said writing anything on currency notes will make the note invalid.

The viral message reads, "As per new guidelines of Reserve Bank of India, writing anything on new notes makes the note invalid and it no more be a legal tender. Just like US dollars. You write anything on US dollars it is not accepted by any one."

We often come across scribbled, torn, or dirty notes and undoubtedly, we try to dodge them. But is RBI also trying to get rid of these scribbled and dirty notes by passing such new guidelines?

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the viral claim is fake.

A simple reverse image search led us to a PIB tweet refuting the viral claim. The tweet read, "NO, Bank notes with scribbling are not invalid & continue to be legal tender."

It added, "Under the Clean Note Policy, people are requested not to write on the currency notes as it defaces them & reduces their life."

PIB further urged people not to share or forward this fake message.

The Reserve Bank's Clean Note Policy aims to give the citizens "good quality currency notes and coins while the soiled notes are withdrawn out of circulation."

The RBI said, "Ever since 1999, when the Governor announced the Clean Note Policy, several steps were taken for augmenting the supply of currency notes and coins. The members of public were urged not to write on the currency notes and banks were instructed to provide unrestricted facility for exchange of soiled and mutilated notes."

Lastly, we could not find any such new guidelines on the official website of the Reserve Bank of India.

It is evident that the Reserve Bank of India did not pass any new guidelines to make invalid or illegal, scribbled notes.

Hence, the claim is false.