RBI to issue Rs 200 note tomorrow; create history

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will issue the much-awaited Rs 200 denomination notes tomorrow. This will be the first time in India's history that central bank will issue a 200 denomination currency note.

The yellow colored Rs 200 bank note will be available at  Reserve Bank of India's select offices, and some banks.It is not clear though as to when the new 200 rupee note will be added into the ATM machines.

As far as its features and design is concerned, the new Rs 200 denomination note has motif of Sanchi Stupa on the reverse, depicting the country's cultural heritage. The base colour of the note is Bright Yellow. The note has other designs, geometric patterns aligning with the overall colour scheme, both at the obverse and reverse, RBI said.

The central bank's plan to add Rs 200 denomination note into circulation is expected be a big relief as it gets hard at times to find change for Rs 500 note. Currently, there is no denomination between Rs 100 and Rs 500, the introduction of Rs 200 note is likely to make cash transactions smoother. 

Rs 200 denomination banknotes, that comes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series will bear signature of RBI Governor Urjit R. Patel. 

Rs 200 currency note will have a Swachh Bharat logo with slogan and Mahatma Gandhi portrait and electrotype (200) watermarks. The new Rs 200 note will have windowed security thread with inscriptions RBI with colour shift. Colour of the thread changes from green to blue when the note is tilted.

Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation in November last year, the idea of Rs 200 note was taken up as it became inconvenient for public to handle cash transactions with high value currency note of Rs 2,000.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday put all the rumours regarding demonetisation of Rs 2,000 notes to rest, saying that the government is not considering banning Rs 2,000 notes. Jaitley had also said the government has given its go-ahead to the RBI to issue Rs 200 notes.