Govt agencies worried as security features on currency notes same for over a decade

The government plans to change the security features of currency notes including the new Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes introduced post demonetisation era as they haven’t been changed in more than a decade a report by The Hindu said on Monday.

Security agencies at a meeting last week discussed that the ‘covert security features’ had not been changed since 2005, the report added.

These features include water marks, security thread, fibre and latent image which have remained the same for the new Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes as well.

The security agencies are faced with a perplexed situation as there has been a recovery of a large amount of fake Indian currency notes in last four months after demonetisation.

There was no time to change the security features of the new notes as the decision to demonetise the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes was taken only in May 2016, the report cited an official.

A report by PTI on Sunday said that the government planned to now change the security features every three to four years and the issue was discussed by senior officials of the ministries of Finance and Home, including Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Thursday last week.

From November 9, 2016, to March 7, 2017 3,346 pieces of fake Rs 2,000 notes had been recovered, Home Ministry said in a reply to Lok Sabha questions.