Days after the Government confirmed that no fresh indent for printing Rs 2000 currency notes have been placed since 2018-19, a viral video circulated on social media is claiming that Rs 1000 notes are coming back from January 1, 2023. However, the claim is not true.

Readers should be aware of the fake news as there is no plan to roll back Rs 2000 notes and re-introduce the Rs 1000 notes, which were banned during the demonetisation drive in 2016 by the Central Government.

The Central government’s official fact-checker, PIB Fact Check, has cautioned users against forwarding such fake and misleading messages.

“A viral video on social media is claiming that Rs 1000 notes will come from January 1 and Rs 2000 notes will return to banks. This claim is fake. Please do not forward such misleading message,” PIB Fact Check tweeted on Friday (December 16).

It further said that the Central Government has not decided to ban Rs 2000 notes.

When was Rs 1000 banned?

Old Rs 1000 notes were banned and withdrawn from circulation during demonetisation in 2016 by the Government in order to curb black money. The Government also introduced new Rs 2000 notes along with new notes of other denominations.

Also Read: Is your Rs 500 note original?

Is Govt not printing Rs 2000 notes?

The Ministry of Finance recently said in a written reply to a query in Parliament that “No fresh indent has been placed with the presses for printing of ₹2000 denomination notes from 2018-19 onwards.”

Fake notes in circulation

Replying to another query in Rajya Sabha regarding the circulation of fake currency notes, the Finance Ministry said that 2,30,971 pieces of counterfeit currency notes were detected in the banking system in FY 2021-22.

“Reserve Bank of India had issued banknotes in all denominations in Mahatma Gandhi Series – 2005, with a new exploding numbering pattern in 2015. This security feature was maintained in the new Mahatma Gandhi series also. With these visible security features the general public can easily distinguish a counterfeit note from a genuine one,” Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary said on December 13, 2022.

“More than 90% of the counterfeit notes detected in the banking system were of low quality and none of the major security features were compromised. Details of security features of these notes are displayed on the RBI website for the general public,” he added.