A zero contribution (from The Economist print edition)
Monday, January 18th, 2010 | Articles | 1 Comment
5th Pillar's zero-rupee banknote {click on the image to zoom in}
An unconventional way to combat petty corruption
A zero-sum game is one in which the gains of one player are exactly balanced by the losses of another. In India a local non-governmental organisation has invented a new sort of zero sum which, it hopes, will leave everyone better off: the zero-rupee note.
What on earth is the point of that? The note is not legal tender. It is simply a piece of paper the colour of a 50-rupee note with a picture of Gandhi on it and a value of nothing. Its aim is to shame corrupt officials into not demanding bribes.