PM Modi Releases New Visually Impaired Friendly Coin Series

The Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, unveiled the new definitive series of visually impaired-friendly coins in denominations of ₹1, ₹2, ₹5, ₹10, and ₹20 today, March 7, 2019, in a special event at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi. 

The ceremony highlighted the government’s commitment to inclusive currency design, ensuring that visually impaired citizens can confidently identify and use the nation’s coins in everyday transactions.

The event was attended by Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley and Minister of State for Finance Pon Radhakrishnan, alongside PM Modi. 

The ₹1, ₹2, ₹5, and ₹10 coins in the series are circular in shape and prominently feature denominations inscribed in Devanagari, along with other differentiating tactile and visual features to assist the visually impaired. The ₹10 and ₹20 coins are bi-metallic, with the ₹20 coin marking the first-ever circulation coin of this denomination in India. Uniquely, the ₹20 coin is shaped as a 12-edged polygon, with a grain motif symbolizing India’s agricultural strength, and serves as a visually and tactilely distinct coin compared to other denominations.

The series has been designed with graduating size and weight, increasing with higher denominations, to make identification intuitive. These thoughtful features aim to instill confidence and independence among the visually impaired, aligning with the government’s vision of reaching the last mile and the last person, as emphasized by PM Modi during the event.

Visually impaired children were specially invited to witness the launch, highlighting the inclusive nature of this initiative. All coins from the new series will enter circulation through the Reserve Bank of India, in accordance with the provisions of the RBI Act, ensuring regulated and secure distribution.

Concluding the ceremony, PM Modi acknowledged the contributions of the National Institute of Design for the coin designs, the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL) for minting, and the Ministry of Finance for overseeing the successful introduction of the series. This release represents a major step forward in making India’s currency system more accessible and inclusive for all citizens, combining practicality with cultural and symbolic motifs.

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