Zero-rupee note
A zero rupee note is a symbolic protest used in India against corruption.
The notes are used by people who are told by a government official that they must pay a fee for a service that should legally be provided for free. The fee, obviously, is a bribe. The zero rupee notes allows the person to register their opposition to the request by paying the official with these alternative notes. In addition to the individual protest, the notes are a sign that an organization exists which is opposing corruption. There have been several examples of officials receiving a zero rupee note and subsequently performing the requested service without the bribe.
While the zero rupee notes appear similar to a genuine Indian fifty rupee note, they are not issued by the Indian government and are not legal currency. Satindar Mohan Bhagat, a professor at the University of Maryland, created the idea. 5th Pillar, a NGO, prints and distributes the notes. The notes can also be downloaded online. Over one million notes have been distributed since 2007.
The notes have been issued in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.
External links
- 5th Pillar's site - includes downloadable notes
- Can this note stamp out corruption in a land where it’s the norm?
- India 'issues' zero rupee banknotes
- Is a zero-rupee note the key to stopping bribery in India?
- Paying Zero for Public Services
- Zero rupee note that Indians can slip to corrupt officials who demand bribes
- Zero-rupee note tackles India's corruption culture