November 10, 2016
The search query “how to convert black money into white money?” is trending on Indian Google after Prime Minister Narendra Modi withdrew 500 and 1,000 (about $15) rupee notes, turning 86 percent of cash in the country to paper. According to Bloomberg, the most searches came from Modi’s home state of Gujarat, known for its small traders, jewelers and other small businesses.
The government decided to get rid of the notes because of tax evasion and corruption in India. The term ‘black money’ is used to describe cash stashed to avoid paying taxes. The media quoted the 2016 Internet Trends report by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers saying India has 277 million internet users, the second-biggest after China.