Why is Mahatma Gandhi's picture printed on currency notes? RBI has revealed

Reserve Bank of India: Before independence, that is, during the British era, Indian currencies reflected colonialism and the historical and political context associated with it.

Reserve Bank of India: Have you ever wondered why only Mahatma Gandhi's picture is on Indian currency? There is no dearth of great personalities in a country like India, but why is only Bapu's picture printed on the notes even today? The answer to this question has now been given by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) itself. 

 

The Reserve Bank has said that many big names like Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa were considered for putting the picture of a famous personality on Indian currency notes, but then a consensus was reached on the name of Mahatma Gandhi. The result of that consensus is that Gandhiji's picture has been on the notes for a long time. This has been mentioned in a documentary made on the functioning of RBI. 

 

 

Why is no one else's picture printed on the notes? 

The Reserve Bank further said, "If there is a picture of a famous person on the note, then it is easy to identify whether the note is real or fake because if the designs of fake notes are not good, then with the help of these pictures, it can be identified whether the note is real or fake. Considering the design and safety facilities of notes in India, pictures of many famous personalities could have been printed on the notes. For this, the names of many famous people including Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa and Abul Kalam Azad were considered, but finally Mahatma Gandhi was decided."

How were the notes during the British rule?  

Before independence, during the British era, Indian currencies reflected colonialism and the historical and political context associated with it. It had pictures of flora and fauna (tigers, deer). The grandeur of the British Empire was depicted through 'decorated elephants' and ornate pictures of the king on the rupee.

According to RBI, when India became independent, the pictures printed on the rupee also started changing gradually. Initially, the picture of the lion in the Ashoka Pillar, famous places etc. were used on the rupee. Gradually, with the development and progress of India, the rupee started telling the story of development through these pictures. When the country progressed in the field of science, the picture of farmers doing farming was beautifully engraved on the notes to show the achievements of Aryabhatta and the Green Revolution in the country. 

When was Bapu's picture printed on currency notes for the first time?  

According to the website of the Reserve Bank of India, a commemorative note of Rs 100 was issued for the first time on October 2, 1969, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. It had his picture along with the Sevagram Ashram.

His picture has appeared regularly on the rupee since 1987. In October that year, Rs 500 notes with Gandhi's picture were issued. In 1996, a series of Mahatma Gandhi notes with new security features was introduced. 

Where can I watch this documentary? 

RBI has also told through a documentary that it uses transport systems like trains, waterways, airways to deliver money from the printing press to every corner of the country. This is the first time that the role of RBI and how it works has been presented in the form of a documentary. The name of this documentary is 'RBI Unlocked: Beyond the Rupee'. You can watch it on JioCinema.