1️⃣ Early Forms of Money & Coins
- Ancient/Medieval: Silver Tanka, Sher Shah Suri Rupiyah.
- Full-bodied coins: Coins whose metallic value was equal to their face value (e.g., historical Silver and Gold coins).
- Token coins: Coins whose metallic value is less than their face value (e.g., modern metallic coins).
- Issuing Authority (Coins): Government of India (GoI)
- Governing Act (Coins): [[Coinage Act, 2011]] (Regulates denominations, weight, and legal tender status).
2️⃣ Paper Currency & Fiat Money
📄 Paper Currency
- All modern paper currency (except the ₹1 note) is issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- Paper currency is a form of Fiat Money.
💡 Fiat Money (Definition)
- Money that has no intrinsic value (the paper/metal is worth less than the face value).
- Its value is backed entirely by government decree/authority (hence, ‘fiat’).
- Must be issued by: Government or Central Bank.
- Forms: Physical coins/notes, Virtual money, Digital money.
3️⃣ Legal Tender (LT)
📌 Definition
- A coin or banknote that is legally valid for the payment of debts or other obligations.
- Must be accepted for all transactions within the country, and the receiving party cannot refuse acceptance.
✅ Conditions for Legal Tender
- Must be Fiat Money.
- Must be legally valid for all debts and transactions throughout the country.
❌ Not Legal Tender (Examples)
- Non-Statutory/Promise-based: Cheques, Demand Drafts (DDs).
- Plastic Money/Digital Instruments: Debit Cards, Credit Cards, e-Wallets (these are payment methods, not legal tender itself).
4️⃣ Legal Tender in India (Specifics)
🪙 Coins
- Issuer: Government of India.
- Governed by: Section 6 of the Coinage Act, 2011.
- Legal Tender Status: Valid as long as they are not defaced or below the prescribed weight.
[!NOTE] Limit: Coins are legal tender up to a certain maximum amount per transaction (e.g., ₹1,000 for coins of ₹1 and above).
💵 Notes
- Issuer: Reserve Bank of India (Banknotes: ₹10, ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, ₹200, ₹500).
- Exception: ₹1 Note is a ‘Currency Note’ issued by the Government of India.
- Legal Tender Status: Guaranteed by the Central Government; legal tender unless formally withdrawn.
5️⃣ Major Currency Events
💰 Cash Transaction Limit (Finance Act, 2017)
- Cash transactions for a single event are allowed below ₹2 lakh only.
📉 ₹2000 Note Withdrawal (2023 Update)
- RBI announced withdrawal in May 2023 under the Clean Note Policy.
- Status: Notes remain Legal Tender.
- Exchange/Deposit Timeline:
- At all bank branches: Until October 7, 2023.
- Post-October 7, 2023: Facility is available only at the 19 Issue Offices of the RBI (or by post).
6️⃣ Bank Money & Negotiable Instruments
🧾 Cheque
- Definition: A written, unconditional order to a bank to pay a specified sum.
- Governed by: [[Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881]].
- Status: A Negotiable Instrument (transferable document promising payment).
💸 Demand Draft (DD)
- Purpose: Bank-to-bank money transfer (guaranteed payment).
- Status: Also a Negotiable Instrument.
7️⃣ Electronic Payment Systems (Regulated)
⚖️ Legal Framework
- Digital payments are regulated under the [[Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007]].
🔁 IMPS (Immediate Payment Service)
- Management: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
- Feature: Real-time, 24x7, instant fund transfer.
💳 RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement)
- Management: RBI.
- Feature: High-value inter-bank transactions settled individually and immediately (‘Gross’).
- Update (2021): Non-bank entities (like large fintech firms) allowed as direct members.
🏦 NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer)
- Management: RBI.
- Feature: Clears transactions in batches; available 24×7, 365 days (since Dec 2019).
8️⃣ NPCI – National Payments Corporation of India
📌 About NPCI
- Organization: Umbrella organization for retail payments.
- Promoted by: RBI & Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
- Legal Status: Section 8 (Not-for-Profit) Company under Companies Act, 2013.
📱 NPCI Products
- UPI (Unified Payments Interface): Instant, P2P and P2M (Person-to-Merchant) inter-bank transfer using a virtual payment address (VPA). Launched in April 2016.
- BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money): NPCI’s own UPI-based mobile payment application. Launched in December 2016.
- RuPay: India’s indigenous card payment network (domestic equivalent of Visa/Mastercard).
🆕 Newer UPI Initiatives
- UPI123Pay (2022): Feature phone-based UPI, enabling transactions via IVR, Missed Call, etc.
- UPI Lite (2022): On-device wallet for offline small-value transactions.
- Transaction Limit: ₹200.
- Wallet Limit: ₹2,000.