New Commemorative Coin: Prasanta Chandra Mahalonobis

The Government of India is expected to issue commemorative coins in denominations of ₹125 and ₹5 to honor the 125th Birth Anniversary of Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, one of India’s most eminent statisticians and visionary thinkers.

Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (29 June 1893 – 28 June 1972) made remarkable contributions to the fields of statistics, planning, and scientific research. He is widely remembered for the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure still extensively used in multivariate analysis. As a member of the first Planning Commission of independent India, Mahalanobis played a crucial role in shaping the country’s economic and development policies. His pioneering studies in anthropometry provided deep insights into human physical variation in India.

Mahalanobis was also the founder of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata, which has become a world-renowned center for statistical research and education. He was instrumental in designing large-scale sample surveys, enabling the collection of critical data that informed national planning and policy decisions. His vision continues to influence modern statistics, economics, and scientific research in India and abroad.

The commemorative coins are tentatively scheduled to be released on June 28, 2018. The official confirmation will come through a gazette notification by the Ministry of Finance, which will provide details about the design, composition, and availability of the coins.

These coins not only celebrate Mahalanobis’s enduring legacy but also aim to inspire a new generation of scholars, statisticians, and policy planners to pursue excellence in science and research. Collectors and enthusiasts can look forward to adding these coins to their collections, commemorating a luminary whose work has left an indelible mark on India’s scientific and statistical landscape. Additionally, there are other possible new coin releases scheduled.

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