Indian Money : Mahatma Gandhi’s photo will not be printed on currency notes, RBI informed.
Indian Money : Since independence, the image of Mahatma Gandhi has been printed on Indian currency notes. It is worth noting that many governments have changed since independence, but no one has been able to change Mahatma Gandhi’s photograph on currency notes. From independence till now, Mahatma Gandhi’s image has continued to appear on banknotes. Even after demonetization, the new notes that were introduced also featured Mahatma Gandhi’s picture.
Indian Money : Mahatma Gandhi’s Photo to Be Removed from Notes?
When Mahatma Gandhi’s image has been printed on currency notes for so many years, discussions have now emerged about removing his photo from Indian currency. News related to the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s image from banknotes keeps surfacing frequently. The question now is how much truth there is in these reports. Will Mahatma Gandhi’s photo actually disappear from currency notes? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has responded to this issue. Let’s find out the facts.
RBI Has Clarified the Situation
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given a clear response regarding the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s image from currency notes. On social media, news claiming that Mahatma Gandhi’s picture will be removed from notes has gone viral, to which the RBI has issued a clarification. RBI stated that the government is not considering any such proposal. Social media posts were claiming that new notes featuring the images of Rabindranath Tagore and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam might be issued soon.
Will a New Photo Be Placed on Currency Notes?
RBI, in its official statement, said that there is no proposal to change Mahatma Gandhi’s image on banknotes. The central bank dismissed the rumors circulating on social media and clarified the situation. According to RBI, there is no plan to replace the existing image on banknotes with portraits of other personalities or to introduce such currency.
Why Did the Question of Removing the Photo Arise?
A news report circulated on social media claiming that RBI was preparing to introduce currency notes with images of Rabindranath Tagore and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. According to the report, the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), under the Ministry of Finance, sent two sets of watermarks—featuring Mahatma Gandhi, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and Rabindranath Tagore—to IIT Delhi professor Dilip Sahni.
Professor Sahni was reportedly asked to select from the two sets, which would later be presented by RBI to the government. However, even if such an exercise took place, it does not indicate the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s image from currency notes.
Mahatma Gandhi’s Image Missing from Digital Rupee
However, some time ago, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the country’s Digital Rupee. This currency can be used only online and exists only in digital form. In this digital currency, Mahatma Gandhi’s image is not present.
When Did Mahatma Gandhi’s Image First Appear on Currency Notes?
Mahatma Gandhi’s image was printed on Indian currency notes for the first time in 1969. That year marked the 100th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, and a special series of notes was issued. During this time, a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi at Sevagram Ashram was printed on the notes. Later, in 1987, Mahatma Gandhi’s image was printed again on the ₹500 note for the second time.