No plan to replace Mahatma Gandhi on Indian currency notes, clarifies RBI

There were reports that the RBI might be considering using the images of Rabindranath Tagore and A P J Abdul Kalam on new-series currency notes

Reserve Bank of India on Monday clarified that it is not considering changes to the existing currency and banknotes by replacing the face of Mahatma Gandhi with that of others.

"There are reports in certain sections of the media that the Reserve Bank of India is considering changes to the existing currency and banknotes by replacing the face of Mahatma Gandhi with that of others. It may be noted that there is no such proposal in the Reserve Bank," said RBI in a statement.

There were reports that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) might be considering using the images of Rabindranath Tagore and A P J Abdul Kalam, alongside Mahatma Gandhi, on the new series of currency notes.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, the central bank and the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India (SPMCIL) had sent two sample sets of Gandhi, Tagore, and Kalam to IIT-Delhi Emeritus Professor Dilip T Shahani, who is responsible for selecting and submitting watermarks to the government for final approval.