New Commemorative Coin: Ol Chiki Script by Pandit Raghunath Murmu

The Government of India will issue a ₹100 commemorative coin to mark the 100 years of Ol Chiki Script by Pandit Raghunath Murmu. The Ministry of Finance issued a gazette notification on February 9, 2026, confirming this coin.

The Ol Chiki script was created by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925 to provide the Santhali language with its own distinct and scientifically designed writing system. It was developed to accurately represent the phonetic structure of Santhali, which earlier scripts failed to capture effectively. Ol Chiki enabled widespread literacy among the Santhal community and became a powerful symbol of cultural identity, self-respect, and linguistic independence. Today, it remains central to Santhali literature, education, and cultural expression.

The metal composition of the ₹100 coin will consist of a Quaternary Alloy, comprising 50% Silver, 40% Copper, 5% Nickel, and 5% Zinc. The coin will weigh 35 grams and have a diameter of 44 mm, featuring 200 serrations along the edge. The coin's description is as follows.

Obverse: The face of the coin shall bear the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar in the center with the legend "सत्यमेव जयते" inscribed below, flanked on the left periphery with the word “भारत” in Devanagari script and on the right periphery with the word “INDIA” in English. It shall also bear the Rupee symbol “₹” and denominational value “100” in the international numerals below the Lion Capitol.

Reverse: This face of the coin shall bear the image of Pandit Raghunath Murmu at the centre of the coin with the alphabets of the Ol Chiki Script composed in the background. The year “1925-2025” in international numerals shall be inscribed below the image. On the upper periphery of the coin, the inscription “पंडित रघुनाथ मुर्भू द्वारा निर्मित ओल चिकी लिपि के 100 वर्ष” shall be inscribed in Devanagari script. On the lower periphery of the coin, the inscription “100 Years of Ol Chiki Script by Pandit Raghunath Murmu” shall be inscribed in English.

This ₹100 commemorative coin will honour Pandit Raghunath Murmu, the visionary scholar and cultural reformer who created the Ol Chiki script and gave the Santhali language its own distinct written identity. In India’s numismatic history, the last notable instance of script-focused recognition was the issuance of ₹100 and ₹2 coins with Braille script to mark the 200th Birth Anniversary of Louis Braille. In the same spirit, this coin acknowledges the profound role of script and language in promoting inclusion, preserving identity, and celebrating India’s rich cultural diversity. The possibility and upcoming coins page have been updated for your reference.