Centre issues alert over high-quality fake Rs 500 notes; Highlights key identifier
New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a high-priority alert to financial regulatory bodies, enforcement agencies, and banks dealing in cash, following intelligence reports of “high-quality” counterfeit Rs 500 notes entering circulation.
The alert, as cited by The New Indian Express, highlights a key identifier between the fake and genuine notes— a subtle spelling error in the fake currency. Instead of “RESERVE BANK OF INDIA,” the counterfeit notes bear the misspelled phrase “RSERVE BANK OF INDIA”.
Despite the near-perfect resemblance in print quality and design to genuine notes, this minor typographical flaw is being described by officials as “very subtle” and potentially easy to overlook. Institutions that handle large volumes of currency — such as banks, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) — have been put on high alert.
Institutions handling currency have been asked to remain on high alert, as intelligence reports suggest that counterfeit notes may have already entered circulation, TNIE quoted officials as saying. They added that an image of the suspected counterfeit currency has also been circulated to aid identification.
The government has urged the general public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious currency to authorities immediately.
When asked about the possible volume of counterfeit notes that may have entered the Indian market, a senior investigative official noted that no agency can accurately assess the figure, as data is compiled from diverse sources, including notes submitted by citizens to banks. However, he added, the actual number may far exceed reported statistics.
In a recent response in Parliament, the government outlined the steps taken to combat the spread of fake currency. These include stringent legal provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, as well as the formation of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the FICN Coordination Group (FCORD), and the Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell.
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
