CTS-2010 (Cheque Truncation System)
Definition
RBI's standard for cheque security features in India, requiring watermark, void pantograph, UV-reactive printing, and MICR E-13B encoding; cheques not meeting CTS-2010 standards are rejected in the national clearing system.
- Issuing body
- Reserve Bank of India
- Jurisdiction
- India
- Required features
- Watermark, void pantograph, UV-reactive printing, MICR E-13B
- Non-compliance result
- Cheque rejected in national clearing system
Common questions
Why does a security-feature standard like CTS-2010 matter to a document examiner?+
A genuine cheque printed after the standard took effect should carry every required feature, so the absence of even one, such as a missing void pantograph or non-reactive UV printing, is a strong indicator of forgery or an outdated cheque form rather than something that needs subjective judgement alone.
Does CTS-2010 compliance by itself prove a cheque is genuine?+
No, because the standard governs the printed form's security features, not the handwriting, signature, or alteration of the amount and payee fields, all of which still require separate forensic examination even on a fully compliant cheque form.
Related terms
- Check Washing
- A cheque alteration technique in which organic solvents dissolve the original ink entries while leaving the pre-printed bank security printing intact, allowing...
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)
- A cryptographic certificate issued by a Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA)-licensed CA in India (or equivalent trust-service provider under eIDAS in the...
- Embossed Seal Counter-Matrix
- The female die component of an embossing seal press, whose surface marks and imperfections transfer as positive elements in the paper impression...
- Error Level Analysis (ELA)
- A technique that re-compresses a JPEG at a controlled quality setting and maps the pixel-level difference between the re-compressed and original images....
- ESDA (Electrostatic Detection Apparatus)
- A non-destructive technique for detecting indented impressions on paper caused by writing pressure. A physical ink signature on paper produces detectable ESDA...
- MICR E-13B
- The Magnetic Ink Character Recognition font standardised by the American Bankers Association and adopted by the RBI for CTS-2010; uses iron-oxide magnetic...
- Rubber Die Defect Inventory
- A catalogue of individualising defects (nicks, cracks, compressed elements, border degradation) on a specific rubber stamp's die face, used to associate questioned...
- Void Pantograph
- A fine-line background print pattern on a cheque or secure document that reveals the word 'VOID' when photocopied or scanned, due to...
- VSC (Video Spectral Comparator)
- A multispectral imaging instrument used in document examination; illuminates the document at multiple wavelengths (UV, visible, near-IR, IR) and captures fluorescence and...