Even in colonial India, the demand for an independent voice of the RBI had always been very strong. However, the RBI’s voice has been missing for quite some time, particularly since demonetisation, when there were several claims that the regulator was not consulted meaningfully.
The withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes is creating panic. Some are rushing to buy luxury watches and gold; others are donating to temples and spending on mangoes and food delivery
Since the weekend, people have thronged outlets to spend using the 2000-rupee note to avoid the hassle of queuing up at banks to exchange them or invite scrutiny from the tax department by depositing large sums.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das stressed that the entire process of withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes will be non-disruptive, and the Central Bank has been monitoring the situation regularly.
The gold market in India is seeing a spurt in sales and it can thank the RBI for it. The central bank’s decision to withdraw the Rs 2000 note from circulation by 30 September has prompted people to buy more gold – with most stores reporting a 20 per cent rise in purchases