<ul><li>India’s national capital, New Delhi, is facing severe air pollution issues with the air quality slipping from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’. </li><li>As a part of an emergency action plan, the Environment Pollution Control Authority is mulling over stopping all private vehicles from entering New Delhi. </li><li>The Air Quality Index (<keyword id="2578389" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="AQI">AQI</keyword>) in Delhi has already touched ‘severe’, and with Diwali round the corner, it’s assumed that things are just going to get worse. </li><li>The government is hoping that the capital’s transportation system will make up for the resident’s vehicular needs.</li></ul>Adding more fuel to the India’s national capital’s already worsening air pollution issue, New Delhi air quality went from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’. Following the sudden drop in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Tuesday, the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has been mulling over <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/8LDhHaESZ2NoVQtFYmSLGJ/Cars-may-go-off-Delhi-roads-from-1-November-if-air-quality-w.html">banning all private vehicles</a> from entering the capital. This week the AQI dropped to ‘severe’, which is basically the worst rating that you can get on the index. Categorically an AQI reading that ranges between 0 to 50 is considered to be ‘good’, anything between 51 to 100 is ‘satisfactory’, while between 101 to 200 is tagged as ‘moderate’. Things start to get bad once the AQI crosses 200 where anything between 201 and 300 is ‘poor’, between 301 and 400 is ‘very poor’ and readings beyond 500 are ‘severe’ Meanwhile out of 32 stations set up in New Delhi by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), <a href="https://app.cpcbccr.com/AQI_India/">18 stations</a> recorded an AQI over 400, slotting the current situation in the ‘severe’ category. Restricting private vehicles is a part of the Indian government’s Graded Action Response Plan. It is being considered an immediate and necessary action, albeit a temporary one. May percieve it as an upgrade to the ‘Even-Odd’ scheme the government had been implementing for the past two years where either even or odd numbered cars could be on the road on alternate days. The government is considering this plan with the hope that the already overcrowded public transport system will pull through for Delhi’s transportation requirements. However, it remains to be seen if the capital, with its inefficient transportation system, can actually survive this. As of now, Delhi has only 5,429 buses, which is less than half of the actual demand of 11,000. Out of the total 464 routes covered by public buses, half of them have merely one to five buses running frequently, as has been reported by <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/may-have-to-stop-private-vehicles-in-delhi-if-air-quality-worsens-says-pollution-control-body-1924487.html">News 18</a> According to the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO), PM 2.5 should not exceed a safe of 300 micrograms per cubic metre as it is toxic and can affect the health of individuals. New Delhi had already witnessed a <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/5yRUb4IkJqUpBgVlWOzTtI/Why-does-deadly-smog-envelop-Delhi-in-winter.html">breach</a> by recording PM 2.5 over 1000 microgram per cubic metres. Delhi’s pollution problems have a considerable lot to do with vehicular and industrial emissions, but matters are aggravated by agricultural stubble being burned in the neighbouring states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. And all of this, just before the festive season of Diwali, which spikes up the pollution levels thanks to firecrackers, along with dropping temperatures, makes things worse for the city. Thus, while little can be, and has been, done about the stubble burning and the firecrackers, banning <keyword id="605512" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="private-cars">private cars</keyword> seems to be the only other solution.

Pollution in India’s national capital is so bad that the government is considering banning private cars altogether

<ul><li>Nepa has conducted a quantitative survey to understand how is the audience preparing for <keyword id="36208" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="festive-season">festive season</keyword> this year. It had also done a prelude of changing <keyword id="139079" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Consumer-behaviour">consumer behaviour</keyword> during COVID in the last quarter.</li><li>The new report talks about what consumers are looking at gifting people during the festive season, their travel sentiments and how their overall festive sentiments have been impacted by the Covid situation.</li></ul>Consumer Research and analytics company Nepa did a prelude of changing consumer behaviour during COVID in the last quarter. The report addressed the changing consumer patterns across categories relevant in current times and how consumers are tackling the lockdown on emotional front. The consumer insights firm recently conducted a quantitative survey to understand how is the audience preparing for festive season this year. The OND 2020 is crucial equally for brands &amp; agencies given the festive spends. But the dynamics is so different this year with the pandemic. Are the consumers excited about the key festivals? In the Consumer Narrative report released during early stages of lockdown, Nepa talked about ‘Conscious Shopping’ where consumers were looking at purchases centred around basic necessities of grocery, health &amp; hygiene factors. Over the last 6 months, the paradigm has shifted. As lockdown is easing out and as home quarantine is becoming a new normal, 71% of the consumers are looking forward to buy new clothes for themselves and family. After all the baking and cooking ventures over last few months, close to 70% consumers are keen on gifting the basics in the form of sweets/chocolates/ confectionaries to their loved ones. After a wave of digital normalisation, the latest research by Nepa tells that smartphones became the 3rd clear choice for gifting for close to half of the consumers who participated in the survey, specifically males. Personal care and grooming products are next in line followed by health/immunity boosting products, foods. While females and younger audience in the age group of 18 to 34 is plans to invest in apparel, electronics and health related products, the older audience (35-45) is considering high investment products like Television, furniture for home and home appliances to make the homestay more comfortable. Most importantly, despite COVID there’s almost no one who is not willing to spend on gifts this Diwali &amp; year end. A close to 30% in fact see themselves spending more on gifts this year as compared to last year, 20% would spend at least the same they spent last year, while a half would be conservative with their gifting budgets. However, there are some concerns that are clouding consumers – 43% feel that their usual gift options are not available due to COVID. Close to 1/3rd are speculating that they won’t get discounts from retailers like previous years. 28% worry that home appliances would be costlier this year. Though majority believe in delivery services provided by digital marketplaces across categories and aren’t worried about getting their gifts delivered to their desired locations. “We know that current times have definitely impacted the festive sentiment. But at the same time, it looks like a season to look for a reason too. There is no definite answer on “What will Matter” as we get back given the changes in affinity for categories month on month. But the positivity from <keyword id="412367" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="consumer-sentiment">consumer sentiment</keyword> is definitely hinting at a narrative based on optimism. To spend, to celebrate &amp; To continue the festivities with safety at core,” said <keyword id="9379807" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="esha-nagar">Esha Nagar</keyword>, Managing Director Nepa India. “Priorities and Purchase patterns are definitely undergoing a possible lasting transformation with every month. In this situation, a regular mapping of underlying missions behind the reason to purchase is critical,” Nagar further added. As lockdown eases out, consumers are able to go back to their usual choice of brands and products. In most parts, the daily routine has started normalizing, however the yearn for travel is a common theme across. Traveling restrictions are slowly being retracted and most consumers are already planning for excursions at a scale that are acceptable. Though 40% of them would not be travelling at all this festive season, not for a vacation and not even to visit their families. Of those who are planning to travel, 1 in 4 are hoping to get away for weekend trips in locations near their city. 32% plan to visit their families or friends in other city, while 20% resort to only long drives within the city to get a travel window. It is the age group of 25–34 that is most inclined to travel in any capacity they can. On travel optimism, our client partner, <keyword id="1201208" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pratik-Mazumder">Pratik Mazumder</keyword> – CMO, Mahindra Holidays &amp; Resorts India Limited says “Tourism is steadily reviving in India with several states opening up for travellers. As health and safety takes precedence over leisure, people are opting for off-beat, non-congested tourist destinations and stays. We are seeing an increased demand for trends like weekend getaways, staycations and road trips.” He further added,” There is a significant increase in domestic travel and people are holidaying in destinations that are within drivable distances and in the safety of their own vehicles. The focus of hospitality sector on hygiene and safety protocols will only get sharper in the coming years as travel behaviour changes in the post Covid world. People are choosing trusted brands like <keyword id="477996" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Club-Mahindra">Club Mahindra</keyword> as their holiday experience partners. In lieu of this, companies are taking extra care and efforts to ensure contactless services and offer access to good healthcare facilities, wherever possible.” Travel sentiment also is a mixed bag of optimism and caution that we see through our quantitative results and several consumer connects last few months. Consumers are either restricting themselves and family keeping in mind the greater risk of second wave and ever increasing COVID +Ve count or they are stepping out with their belief on the immunity system and precautions they take.

Nepa's latest survey reveals 30% people see themselves spending more on gifts this festive season as compared to last year

The <keyword id="34478" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="auto-industry">auto industry</keyword> is expecting a cracker festival season in the backdrop of good monsoons and the seventh pay commission. 
 
Automakers are hoping for bumper sales as consumers are lining up at different companies ahead of Dussehra and Diwali. 
 For instance, <keyword id="44883" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maruti-Suzuki">Maruti Suzuki</keyword> registered over 29% increase in September dispatches. Among others, Maruti’s Baleno and Vitara Brezza are selling like hot cakes. 
 
"The industry should see good demand during the festivals this year. The turnaround has taken place in rural markets and the momentum is expected to improve over the coming months once harvest takes place,” RS Kalsi, executive director for sales and marketing at Maruti Suzuki, told ET. 
 
During the festive season, the auto industry reports a surge in sales. During last year Dussehra and Diwali, the passenger vehicle sales increased by 21% to about 2,68,000 units. 
 "Festive season will be good this year. But wholesale growth should be read for September and October together as stocks have been built at dealerships over the last one month. Besides, there are several holidays with Dussehra and Diwali all falling in October this year, which may pose challenges in production,” N Raja, director for sales and marketing at <keyword id="118748" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Toyota-Kirloskar-Motor">Toyota Kirloskar Motor</keyword>, told ET. 
 <keyword id="596" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyundai">Hyundai</keyword> is also hoping for a 25% increase in India sales this festival month. 
 
Rakesh Srivastava, the India head for sales and marketing, said, “Monsoon rains that have been evenly spread which bettered sentiments in rural markets, and the salary hike that has put more money in the hands of government employees, as the key reasons for the optimism.” 
Manufacturers of two-wheelers also expect the growth curve to go upwards. 
 Ashok Bhasin, head of sales, marketing and customer care at <keyword id="6357252" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hero-MotoCorp">Hero MotoCorp</keyword>, told ET, “The company has seen a good start to the season with the Onam in Kerala. There are green shoots in rural markets. This is based on sentiment right now, but once the harvest is in, there should be strong demand over the next few months.” 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Auto industry is expecting the growth curve to go upwards this festive season

They haven’t learnt to speak yet but they have conveyed their message through a petition. In first-of-its-kind petition, three infants have moved the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=supreme+court">Supreme Court</a> seeking ban on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=firecrackers">firecrackers</a> as festivals like Dussehra and Diwali are approaching. 
 
"Our lungs have not yet fully developed and we cannot take further pollution through bursting of crackers," said three infants in their petition before the Apex Court. 
 
Two six-month-olds, Arjun Gopal and Aarav Bhandari, and 14-month-old Zoya Rao Bhasin have demanded their right to clean air guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution and asked it to take stringent steps to stop <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Delhi+pollution">pollution</a>. 
 
The Supreme Court rules permit minors to file <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=petitions">petitions</a> for the protection of their fundamental rights through their parents and guardians who term themselves as 'next friends'. 
 
The infants have also asked measures to check pollution hazards like burning crop residues, polluting vehicles and open waste disposal. 
 
"Studies show that Indian citizens have 30% lower lung capacity than Europeans, and that children are the worst affected, as their lungs have not yet fully developed and their systems are vulnerable. In Delhi, a majority of the pollution is caused by over 500 million tonnes of crop residue burnt annually in neighbouring areas, by polluting trucks that pass through the city during the night, road dust and pollution from industries. To add to this, the smoke from bursting of crackers in the months of October and November during the festivals of Dussehra and Diwali virtually clogs the atmosphere, substantially increases the pollution level and magnifies the risk of contracting lung diseases." 
 
They accused the government of lethargic attitude towards arresting pollution in the capital, saying the machinery does little to protect citizens, especially infants and children, from the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=toxic+air">long-term toxic effects</a> of deadly pollution enveloping the capital city. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Bizarre but true! 3 infants move the Supreme Court seeking right to clean air via ban on firecrackers during the festive season

A good school for the children, a bungalow in an elegant part of the Indian capital, a job as a freelance writer, a maid, a driver, an inverter for the power cuts, and a water purifying system. These were some of the items Indian expat Jyoti Pande Lavakare ticked off on her list as “done” as she prepared to leave the piercing blue skies of Palo Alto in California to return to New Delhi in June 2009 with her husband Ajay, a technology start-up executive. The move proved smooth. Within months, the household had settled into a new rhythm. They were returning to spend time with their elderly parents and ensure their son, Madhav, and daughter, Naina, both in their early teens, had some “connection” with India, where both Jyoti and Ajay had grown up. They hoped to make them more resilient by teaching them to cope with power cuts, water shortages, and similar hardships. What Lavakare, now in her early 50s, hadn’t bargained for was the poisonous air. The city had a “hidden” secret: its air was fouler than Beijing’s but hardly anyone knew. With every passing winter, the air quality was plummeting. Jyoti Pande Lavakare. “In 2014, I realised something was making us all sick. At my children’s school, children were falling ill constantly. My friends’ children were falling ill. I had a bad asthma attack. When we met other expats, the talk was about what was wrong with the air,” says Lavakare. She thought she was being hypersensitive. Indian friends teased her for having become too “American”. But Lavakare began reading about and researching the air quality and soon became obsessive about the pollution. When the American embassy in Delhi, which had been collecting air quality data but keeping it private, released the figures to the public in 2015, the secret was out. Lavakare was right to be obsessed: New Delhi’s pollution was off the charts, registering 222 during US President Barack Obama’s visit in January 2015. Readings from 151 to 200 are considered unhealthy, and any above that very unhealthy, meaning “health warnings of emergency conditions”. The Indian capital’s residents were living in a gas chamber. In January 2015, Bloomberg quoted David Spiegelhalter, a University of Cambridge statistician, as saying that, by visiting the capital and breathing its air for just three days, Obama might have cut six hours from his expected lifespan. New York Times correspondent Gardiner Harris (a neighbour of Lavakare’s in Sunder Nagar) wrote a quietly impassioned article on how he was leaving New Delhi after his young son suffered a horrifying asthma attack. Breathing the air was the equivalent of smoking 44 cigarettes a day, according to the independent Berkeley Earth science research group. “At first I was in denial. Had I brought my children back to India to breathe pure poison and harm their lungs? But when the data started coming out … I knew we were in a crisis,” says Lavakare. She bought face masks and air <keyword id="2029750" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="purifiers">purifiers</keyword>, but that was only dealing with her own patch. Angry at the horror of the city’s 20 million residents breathing filthy air, she co-founded Care for Air in 2015 with other professionals, as a platform to build awareness that the city was in the midst of a “public health emergency” and to lobby for clean air. With her colourful silk saris and long wavy hair, pushed back by her glasses, Lavakare is now well-known as an expert on air pollution; she is invited to join television debates. She is unimpressed with the measures the New Delhi government has just announced to “minimise” (no one is talking of eliminating) the pollution this winter that turns the capital into a kind of “air gulag”, thick with tiny particles known as PM2.5 which damage not just respiratory systems, as many seem to think – but many other human organs too. The quality of October’s air plunged to “poor” even before Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights when the bursting of firecrackers makes the “normal” pollution many times worse. On some days in late October, the state-run Central Pollution Control Board’s air quality index stood at around 300 – six times the recommended level. The index has risen as high as 999 after Diwali for two consecutive years. This year, the government began putting tougher measures in place. Under its Graded Response Action Plan, drivers are allowed to use their cars every other day, depending on whether their number plates end in an odd or even number, to limit vehicle emissions; people found burning waste are fined; bus and metro services are increased; the use of diesel generators has been banned; and water sprinklers and mechanical sweepers will be used to deal with the construction dust and debris that is responsible for the bulk of the pollution. <h2 style="margin-top: 1.14286rem; margin-bottom: 0.428571rem; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.21429rem; font-family: Merriweather, serif; vertical-align: baseline;">At first I was in denial. Had I brought my children back to India to breathe pure poison and harm their lungs?Jyoti Pande Lavakare</h2> By getting the doctors on Care for Air’s board to appear on television to talk about its effects, visiting schools to educate children, and galvanising the media to cover the subject, the group has succeeded in raising public awareness and making people, even the poor, demand action. You can see the difference in the booming sales of air purifiers and face masks. “When people first began wearing masks a few years ago, people used to stare. It seemed odd. Or they’d cross the street, thinking the person was contagious. Now no one thinks twice about wearing a mask,” says Mukesh Nath, a chemist in Sarai Jullena. For Lavakare, the fight for the right to breathe clean air has become fused with her personal life. She’s not worrying about her children – Naina has gone to Barnard College in New York, where she is studying sociology, and Madhav, currently on a gap year, has been accepted by Yale University in Connecticut. It’s more that, while she was campaigning and lobbying against pollution, it sneaked into her family, devastating it. Jyoti Pande Lavakare (left), her late mother Kamale Pande and father Jagdish Chandra Pande. Photo: courtesy of Lavakare family She had returned to India to spend time with her parents. But over a year ago, her mother, Kamale Pande, a classical vocalist and non-smoker, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She had no family history of the disease and was otherwise in excellent health. Suddenly, all those abstract statistics were embodied in her own mother’s lungs. Specialists linked the disease directly to <keyword id="55910" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Pollution">air pollution</keyword> and Lavakare has no doubt at all about the causal link. In her book Choked, published this year, Beth Gardiner wrote: “You see one person run over in the street and you’ll never forget it, but thousands dying from the effects of dirty air will never even faze you.” Lavakare’s mother died last year. Trying to process her grief is one reason Lavakare is working on her own book, called Breathing Here is Injurious to Your Health, to be published next year. It’s the story of her relationship with her dying city, with pollution, her mother’s suffering and on what can be done to spare Indians from pollution’s catastrophic impact. The fight for clean air is going to be prolonged. Misleading statistics have to be contested, for one. The Delhi government recently issued full-page advertisements to trumpet how air pollution had been cut by 25 per cent thanks to its efforts. <h2 style="margin-top: 1.14286rem; margin-bottom: 0.428571rem; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.21429rem; font-family: Merriweather, serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes, I wish we hadn’t given up our green cardJyoti Pande Lavakare, who returned to India with her family from Palo Alto, California, in 2009</h2> “Experts agree that there is no data available – at least in the public domain – that clearly validates the claim. It doesn’t mean the government is lying, but unless independent data analysts and scientists can access the data, no one can say whether this is just another piece of fake news or a manipulation of cherry-picked statistics,” says Lavakare. Sunita Narain, director general of the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, says the coming weeks will see pollution getting worse. “There are 14 ‘hotspots’ – areas where pollution levels exceed the average because of the burning of municipal solid waste and industrial waste. To reduce the remaining 65 per cent of pollution, these sources need to be tackled,” she says. Lavakare wants action on a “war footing”. The city needs an empowered and accountable authority whose sole goal is to reduce pollution. She is convinced that neither New Delhi nor the country – last year, 11 of the world’s 15 most polluted cities were in India – can afford incremental progress. Anger inflects her voice, mostly when she talks of how little has been done. “Take 2018 – there was not a single ‘clean air’ day in the city. Take the government’s Clean India (Swachh Bharat) campaign. “How you can have a Clean India without clean air?” Or the government’s other pet scheme, Make in India. “How can you Make in India if you can’t breathe in India?” Lavakare asks. The figures are not just dispiriting, they are apocalyptic. A report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago in 2016 said air pollution was reducing the life expectancy of the average New Delhi resident by about 10 years. She and Ajay discuss whether they should become “pollution refugees” by leaving the city for Goa, a coastal state in India’s southeast. Friends have already sold up and fled. Many have had nasty health scares. Some have opted for crazy commutes, such as between Delhi and Toronto or Delhi and London. “Sometimes, I wish we hadn’t given up our green card,” she says.

New Delhi’s toxic air and how one expat family was affected – sick children, asthma, a death, and a campaign to awaken city to pollution threat

<keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-Narendra-Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword> made a bold move and declared Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes as void starting midnight. 
 In his address to the entire nation, Modi said the decision was taken to clamp down on <keyword id="6356023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Black-Money">black money</keyword>. 
 
He urged Indians to bear with temporary hardships in the implementation of the new rule. 
 
"We are No 1 in rate of economic growth. Despite some progress, India still ranks at No 76 in world rankings for perception of corruption,” said Modi. 
 
Modi said persons holding old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 can deposit these notes in their bank or post office accounts from November 10 till close of banking hours on December 30, 2016 without any limit. 
 
He also made other important points during his address to the nation. 
 
Here’s the full text of his speech 
 
 
My dear citizens 
 
I hope you ended the festive season of Diwali with joy and new hope. Today, I will be speaking to you about some critical issues and important decisions. Today I want to make a special request to all of you. You may recall the economic situation in May 2014 when you entrusted us with an onerous responsibility. In the context of BRICS, it was being said that the “I” in BRICS was shaky. Since then, we had two years of severe drought. Yet, in the last two and a half years with the support of 125 crore Indians, India has become the “bright spot” in the global economy. It is not just we who are saying this; it is being stated by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. 
 
In this effort for development, our motto has been ‘Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas’: We are with all citizens and for development of all citizens. This Government is dedicated to the poor. It will remain dedicated to them. In our fight against poverty, our main thrust has been to empower the poor, and make them active participants in the benefits of economic progress. 
 
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, 
 
the Jan Suraksha Yojana, 
 
the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana for small enterprises, 
 
the Stand-up India programme for Dalits, Adivasis and Women, 
 
the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Scheme for gas connections in the homes of the poor, 
 
the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana to protect the income of farmers, 
 
the Soil Health Card Scheme to ensure the best possible yield from farmers’ fields, 
 
and the e-NAM National Market Place scheme to ensure farmers get the right price for their produce 
 
—these are all reflections of this approach. 
 
In the past decades, the spectre of corruption and black money has grown. It has weakened the effort to remove poverty. On the one hand, we are now No. 1 in the rate of economic growth. But on the other hand, we were ranked close to one hundred in the global corruption perceptions ranking two years back. In spite of many steps taken, we have only been able to reach a ranking of seventy-six now. Of course, there is improvement. This shows the extent to which corruption and black money have spread their tentacles. 
 
The evil of corruption has been spread by certain sections of society for their selfish interest. They have ignored the poor and cornered benefits. Some people have misused their office for personal gain. On the other hand, honest people have fought against this evil. Crores of common men and women have lived lives of integrity. We hear about poor auto-rickshaw drivers returning gold ornaments left in the vehicles to their rightful owners. We hear about taxi drivers who take pains to locate the owners of cell phones left behind. We hear of vegetable vendors who return excess money given by customers. 
 
There comes a time in the history of a country’s development when a need is felt for a strong and decisive step. For years, this country has felt that corruption, black money and terrorism are festering sores, holding us back in the race towards development. 
 
Terrorism is a frightening threat. So many have lost their lives because of it. But have you ever thought about how these terrorists get their money? Enemies from across the border run their operations using fake currency notes. This has been going on for years. Many times, those using fake five hundred and thousand rupee notes have been caught and many such notes have been seized. 
 
Brothers and sisters, 
 
On the one hand is the problem of terrorism; on the other is the challenge posed by corruption and black money. We began our battle against corruption by setting up an SIT headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, immediately upon taking office. Since then 
 
• a law was passed in 2015 for disclosure of foreign black money; 
 
• agreements with many countries, including the USA, have been made to add provisions for sharing banking information; 
 
• a strict law has come into force from August 2016 to curb benami transactions, which are used to deploy black money earned through corruption; 
 
• a scheme was introduced for declaring black money after paying a stiff penalty; 
 
My dear countrymen, 
 
Through all these efforts, in the last two and a half years, we have brought into the open nearly 1 lakh 25 thousand crore rupees of black money belonging to the corrupt. Honest citizens want this fight against corruption, black money, benami property, terrorism and counterfeiting to continue. Which honest citizen would not be pained by reports of crores worth of currency notes stashed under the beds of government officers? Or by reports of cash found in gunny bags? 
 
The magnitude of cash in circulation is directly linked to the level of corruption. Inflation becomes worse through the deployment of cash earned in corrupt ways. The poor have to bear the brunt of this. It has a direct effect on the purchasing power of the poor and the middle class. You may yourself have experienced when buying land or a house, that apart from the amount paid by cheque, a large amount is demanded in cash. This creates problems for an honest person in buying property. The misuse of cash has led to artificial increase in the cost of goods and services like houses, land, higher education, health care and so on. 
 
High circulation of cash also strengthens the hawala trade which is directly connected to black money and illegal trade in weapons. Debate on the role of black money in elections has been going on for years. 
 
Brothers and sisters, 
 
To break the grip of corruption and black money, we have decided that the five hundred rupee and thousand rupee currency notes presently in use will no longer be legal tender from midnight tonight, that is 8th November 2016. This means that these notes will not be acceptable for transactions from midnight onwards. The five hundred and thousand rupee notes hoarded by anti-national and anti-social elements will become just worthless pieces of paper. The rights and the interests of honest, hard-working people will be fully protected. Let me assure you that notes of one hundred, fifty, twenty, ten, five, two and one rupee and all coins will remain legal tender and will not be affected. 
 
This step will strengthen the hands of the common man in the fight against corruption, black money and fake currency. To minimise the difficulties of citizens in the coming days, several steps are being taken. 
 
1. Persons holding old notes of five hundred or one thousand rupees can deposit these notes in their bank or post office accounts from 10th November till close of banking hours on 30th December 2016 without any limit. 
 
2. Thus you will have 50 days to deposit your notes and there is no need for panic. 
 
3. Your money will remain yours. You need have no worry on this point. 
 
4. After depositing your money in your account, you can draw it when you need it. 
 
5. Keeping in mind the supply of new notes, in the first few days, there will be a limit of ten thousand rupees per day and twenty thousand rupees per week. This limit will be increased in the coming days. 
 
6. Apart from depositing your notes in your bank account, another facility will also be there. 
 
7. For your immediate needs, you can go to any bank, head post office or sub post office, show your identity proof like Aadhaar card, voter card, ration card, passport, PAN card or other approved proofs, and exchange your old five hundred or thousand rupee notes for new notes. 
 
8. From 10th November till 24th November the limit for such exchange will be four thousand rupees. From 25th November till 30th December, the limit will be increased. 
 
9. There may be some who, for some reason, are not able to deposit their old five hundred or thousand rupee notes by 30th December 2016. 
 
10. They can go to specified offices of the Reserve Bank of India up to 31st March 2017 and deposit the notes after submitting a declaration form. 
 
11. On 9th November and in some places on 10th November also, ATMs will not work. In the first few days, there will be a limit of two thousand rupees per day per card. 
 
12. This will be raised to four thousand rupees later. 
 
13. Five hundred and thousand rupee notes will not be legal tender from midnight. However for humanitarian reasons, to reduce hardship to citizens, some special arrangements have been made for the first 72 hours, that is till midnight on 11th November. 
 
14. During this period, government hospitals will continue to accept five hundred and thousand rupee notes for payment. 
 
15. This is for the benefit of those families whose members may be unwell. 
 
16. Pharmacies in government hospitals will also accept these notes for buying medicines with doctors’ prescription. 
 
17. For 72 hours, till midnight on 11th November, railway ticket booking counters, ticket counters of government buses and airline ticket counters at airports will accept the old notes for purchase of tickets. This is for the benefit of those who may be travelling at this time. 
 
18. For 72 hours, five hundred and thousand rupee notes will be accepted also at 
 
• Petrol, diesel and CNG gas stations authorised by public sector oil companies 
 
• Consumer co-operative stores authorised by State or Central Government 
 
• Milk booths authorised by State governments 
 
• Crematoria and burial grounds. 
 
These outlets will have to keep proper records of stock and collections. 
 
19. Arrangements will be made at international airports for arriving and departing passengers who have five hundred or thousand rupee notes of not more than five thousand rupees, to exchange them for new notes or other legal tender. 
 
20. Foreign tourists will be able to exchange foreign currency or old notes of not more than Rs 5000 into legal tender. 
 
21. One more thing I would like to mention, I want to stress that in this entire exercise, there is no restriction of any kind on non-cash payments by cheques, demand drafts, debit or credit cards and electronic fund transfer. 
 
Brothers and sisters, 
 
In spite of all these efforts there may be temporary hardships to be faced by honest citizens. Experience tells us that ordinary citizens are always ready to make sacrifices and face difficulties for the benefit of the nation. I see that spirit when a poor widow gives up her LPG subsidy, when a retired school teacher contributes his pension to the Swacch Bharat mission, when a poor Adivasi mother sells her goats to build a toilet, when a soldier contributes 57 thousand rupees to make his village clean. I have seen that the ordinary citizen has the determination to do anything, if it will lead to the country’s progress. 
 
So, in this fight against corruption, black money, fake notes and terrorism, in this movement for purifying our country, will our people not put up with difficulties for some days? I have full confidence that every citizen will stand up and participate in this ‘mahayagna’. My dear countrymen, after the festivity of Diwali, now join the nation and extend your hand in this Imandaari ka Utsav, this Pramanikta ka Parv, this celebration of integrity, this festival of credibility. 
 
I am sure that all political parties, all governments, social services organizations, the media and indeed all sections of the society will take part in this with enthusiasm and make it a success. 
 
My dear countrymen, 
 
Secrecy was essential for this action. It is only now, as I speak to you, that various agencies like banks, post offices, railways, hospitals and others are being informed. The Reserve Bank, banks and post offices have to make many arrangements at very short notice. Obviously, time will be needed. Therefore all banks will be closed to the public on 9th November. This may cause some hardship to you. I have full faith that banks and post offices will successfully carry out this great task of national importance. However, I appeal to all of you to help the banks and post offices to meet this challenge with poise and determination. 
 
My dear citizens, 
 
From time to time, based on currency needs, the Reserve Bank with the approval of the Central Government brings out new notes of higher value. In 2014, the Reserve Bank sent a recommendation for issue of five thousand and ten thousand rupee notes. After careful consideration, this was not accepted. Now as part of this exercise, RBI’s recommendation to issue two thousand rupee notes has been accepted. New notes of five hundred rupees and two thousand rupees, with completely new design will be introduced. Based on past experience, the Reserve Bank will hereafter make arrangements to limit the share of high denomination notes in the total currency in circulation. 
 
In a country’s history, there come moments when every person feels he too should be part of that moment, that he too should make his contribution to the country’s progress. Such moments come but rarely. Now, we again have an opportunity where every citizen can join this mahayajna against the ills of corruption, black money and fake notes. The more help you give in this campaign, the more successful it will be. 
 
It has been a matter of concern for all of us that corruption and black money tend to be accepted as part of life. This type of thinking has afflicted our politics, our administration and our society like an infestation of termites. None of our public institutions is free from these termites. 
 
Time and again, I have seen that when the average citizen has to choose between accepting dishonesty and bearing inconvenience, they always choose to put up with inconvenience. They will not support dishonesty. 
 
Once again, let me invite you to make your contribution to this grand sacrifice for cleansing our country, just as you cleaned up your surroundings during Diwali. 
 
Let us ignore the temporary hardship 
 
Let us join this festival of integrity and credibility 
 
Let us enable coming generations to live their lives with dignity 
 
Let us fight corruption and black money 
 
Let us ensure that the nation’s wealth benefits the poor 
 
Let us enable law-abiding citizens to get their due share. 
 
I am confident in the 125 crore people of India and I am sure country will get success. 
 
Thank you very much. Thanks a lot. 
 
Namaskar. 
 
Bharat Mata Ki Jai.

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