Reserve Bank of India has been continuously making efforts to make good quality banknotes available to the members of public. The Clean Note Policy contains initiatives and instructions to make currency notes clean. To help RBI and banking system, the members of public are requested to ensure the following:
Not to staple the banknotes
Not to write / put rubber stamp or any other mark on the banknotes
Store the banknotes safely to prevent any damage
Exchange of notes
Basically, there are two categories of notes which are exchanged between banks and the Reserve Bank – soiled notes and mutilated notes. While soiled notes are notes which have become dirty and limp due to excessive use or a two-piece note, mutilated note means a note of which a portion is missing or which is composed of more than two pieces. While soiled notes can be tendered and exchanged at all bank branches, mutilated notes are exchanged at designated bank branches and such notes can be exchanged for value through an adjudication process which is governed by Reserve Bank of India (Note Refund) Rules, 2009. Under current provisions, either full or no value for notes of denomination up to Rs.20 is paid, while notes of Rs.50 and above would get full, half, or no value, depending on the area of the single largest undivided portion of the note. Special adjudication procedures exist at the Reserve Bank Issue offices for notes which have turned extremely brittle or badly burnt, charred or inseparably stuck together and, therefore, cannot withstand normal handling.
