On Exchange Of Rs 2,000 Notes, Big Update From State Bank Of India

Putting to rest speculations regarding whether any form or slip would be required while exchanging or depositing Rs 2,000 notes, the State Bank of India today issued a guideline to all its branches saying it will be allowed "without obtaining any requisition slip". Rs 2,000 notes up to a total value of Rs 20,000 can be deposited or exchanged at a time, the guideline reiterated.

The clarification comes amid alleged misinformation on social media that a form would need to be filled out, along with submitting identity documents like an Aadhaar card, in order to exchange the banned notes.

Government sources said people can exchange Rs 2,000 rupee notes up to Rs 20,000 any number of times in a day. A person has to stand in a queue, and they can keep coming back and stand in the same queue after exchanging the money, they said.

There is no restriction on standing in the queue again after exchanging or depositing the notes once.

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday said it will withdraw Rs 2,000 notes from circulation and people can exchange or deposit them in their bank accounts by September 30. The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) 19 regional offices and other banks will start taking Rs 2,000 notes for exchange with lower denomination ones from May 23. They will remain legal tender, the RBI said. 

In a release, the central bank said that this is being done under its "Clean Note Policy".

The RBI may extend the deadline from September 30 if needed, but even if anyone has a Rs 2,000 note after the current deadline, it will remain a valid tender, sources told NDTV.

It is not necessary for a person to be a customer of the bank to exchange soon-to-be-discontinued currency. A non-account holder can exchange Rs 2,000 banknotes up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank branch.

The RBI clarified that people don't have to pay any fee to avail of the exchange facility. Further, banks have been instructed to make arrangements to reduce inconvenience for senior citizens and persons with disabilities who wish to exchange or deposit Rs 2,000 banknotes.

"About 89 per cent of the Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes were issued prior to March 2017 and are at the end of their estimated lifespan of four-five years. The total value of these banknotes in circulation declined from Rs 6.73 lakh crore at its peak as on March 31, 2018 (37.3 per cent of notes in circulation) to Rs 3.62 lakh crore constituting only 10.8 per cent of notes in circulation on March 31, 2023," the RBI said.

The central bank said this note is not commonly used for transactions. The RBI had undertaken a similar withdrawal of notes from circulation in 2013-2014.