If you thought a one-rupee note is a rare sight to behold, then wait till you hear this. India has a zero rupee note too. The purpose of this note is to fight the deeply rooted systematic corruption. Isn’t that something? The zero rupee note acts as a peculiar tool to deal with instances of bribery. Now, before you start thinking that this note is the real deal sanctioned by the Reserve Bank of India, let us stop your train of thought. Well, it is not. However, it is neither a prank currency. The zero rupee note holds a bigger purpose, and currently, there are a whopping 3 million zero-rupee notes in circulation. Well, if it is not the RBI, then who germinated these notes? The 5th Pillar.
5th Pillar is a Chennai-based NGO-cum-PVO (Private Voluntary Organization) that was initiated into action to fight corruption that rots the fabric of democracy with each day of its existence. The idea of a zero rupee note came in 2007, and since then, these notes have been supposed to highlight the shame and instil a sense of disgrace into the person’s mind who is indulging in bribery.
The NGO-cum-PVO distributes these notes on railway stations, bus stations, marketplaces, etc., to remind people to stand up against corruption and be cognizant of their rights as a citizen of this country.
The zero rupee note looks very similar to the old 50 rupee note and is bigger in size than the normal note. On the note, in place of Reserve Bank of India, is written, ‘Eliminate Corruption At All Levels.’ The note also carries several instructions regarding the course of action that a citizen can take if an official asks for a bribe. In addition, the note hones the phone numbers to the organization and a stamp that says, “This is not a currency note.”
Take a look:
https://5thpillar.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/hindi_front.jpg
The notes are available in various languages such as Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil. Citizens can download the currency note, which is available in ‘.jpg’ format, on their official website: www.5thpillar.org
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