Fake currency notes on rise

Mumbai: The number of fake currency note of Rs500 denomination detected by the banking system more than doubled to 79,669 pieces in the fiscal 2021-22 over the previous year, according to the RBI annual report.

The number of counterfeit notes of Rs 2,000 denomination detected in the system was 13,604 pieces during 2021-22, up 54.6 per cent from the preceding financial year. After declining in 2020-21, the total number of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) of all denominations detected in the banking sector increased to 2,30,971 pieces from 2,08,625 pieces in the previous fiscal. During 2019-29, the FICNs detected stood at 2,96,695 pieces.

"Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 16.4 per cent, 16.5 per cent, 11.7 per cent, 101.9 per cent and 54.6 per cent in the counterfeit notes detected in the denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 200, Rs 500 (new design) and Rs 2,000, respectively," said the RBI's annual report for 2021-22.

The counterfeit notes detected in the denominations of Rs 50 and Rs 100 declined by 28.7 per cent and 16.7 per cent, respectively. During 2021-22, out of the total FICNs detected in the banking sector, 6.9 per cent were detected at the Reserve Bank and 93.1 per cent at other banks, the report said. One of the major objectives of the 2016 demonetisation of the then prevailing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was to curb circulation of fake currency notes. The report also said the total expenditure incurred on security printing during April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 was Rs 4,984.8 crore as against Rs 4,012.1 crore in the previous year (July 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021).