The Gandhi Series of banknotes are issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the legal tender of Indian rupee. The series is so called because the obverse of the banknotes prominently display the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi. Since its introduction in 1996, this series replaced all Lion Capital Series banknotes issued before 1996. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced the series in 1996 with ₹10 and ₹500 banknotes.

Banknotes of denominations of ₹5, ₹10, ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, ₹500 and ₹1000 of the Mahatma Gandhi Series

As of 10 November 2016, the RBI issues banknotes in this series in denominations from ₹5 to ₹100. Printing of five-notes, which had stopped earlier, restarted in 2009. On 8 November 2016, the ₹500 and ₹1000 banknote denominations of this series were demonetised and the new Mahatma Gandhi Series of banknotes were revealed in denominations of ₹500 and ₹2000, intended to replace this series.

Security features

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The obverse design of the series was based on this 1946 photograph of Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Pethick-Lawrence.
Details of the photograph

The following features are included in the notes.[1]

  • Security thread: The notes contain an embedded security thread that can be seen as a vertical straight line when held against a light source. The notes contains the words 'Bharat' in Devanagari and RBI. The ₹1000 denomination contains the number 1000 as well. Older notes, however, are not readable.
  • Latent image: When held against the light at an angle of 45 degrees, an inscription of the value of the denomination is seen on the right side of Mahatma Gandhi's image.
  • Microlettering: Micro-letters are used to print RBI on ₹10 notes, and the value of the denomination on other notes.
  • Intaglio print:
  1. An intaglio (raised) shape is present on all denominations other than the ₹10 note to help the visually impaired.
    1. 20-Vertical rectangle
    2. 50-Square
    3. 100-Triangle
    4. 500-Circle
    5. 1,000-Diamond
  2. The image of Mahatma Gandhi, Reserve Bank of India seal, clause of guarantee, Ashoka Pillar emblem and signature of the governor of the Reserve Bank of India are all intaglio prints.
  • Fluorescence: The number panels are printed with fluorescent ink.
  • Optical fibre: The notes have optical fibres that glow when exposed to ultra-violet light.
  • Optically variable ink: Denominations of ₹500 and ₹1000 are printed with ink that changes color with the angle of placement to light.
  • See-through registration device – A floral design (later issues now have the corresponding denomination) printed on the front and the back of the note coincides and perfectly overlap each other when viewed against a light source.
  • EURion constellation – A pattern of symbols found on the banknote helps software detect the presence of a banknote in a digital image so that it can prevent its reproduction with devices such as color photocopiers.
  • Angular lines: A series of lines placed on both the left and right side of the 100, 500 and 1,000 notes. They are only featured on the 2015 series notes, and are utilised to help those with visual impairments in identifying the notes.
  • Novel numbering: A set of six digit serial numbers that increase in size from left to right. Issued for the 2015 and 2016 series 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 notes.

Banknotes

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Mahatma Gandhi Series[2]
Image Value Dimensions (millimetres) Main colour Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Watermark Issue Withdrawal
    ₹5 117 × 63 mm Green Mahatma Gandhi Agriculture endeavour Mahatma Gandhi 2002 / 2011 Current
    ₹10 137 × 63 mm Orange and violet Indian rhinoceros, Indian elephant, and Bengal tiger 1996 / 2017 Current
    ₹20 147 × 63 mm Red-orange Mount Harriet 2001 / 2018 Current
    ₹50 147 × 73 mm Lilac and Violet Old Parliament House 1997 / 2017 Current
    ₹100 157 × 73 mm Blue and green at centre, brown and purple at two sides Kangchenjunga 1996 / 2017 Current
    ₹500 167 × 73 mm Orange and Yellow Gyarah Murti 2000 / 2016 8 November 2016
    ₹1000 177 × 73 mm Amber-Red Economy of India 2000 / 2016 8 November 2016
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Languages

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Each banknote has its amount written in 17 languages. On the obverse, the denomination is written in Hindi and English. On the reverse is a language panel which displays the denomination of the note in 15 of the 22 official languages of India. The languages are displayed in alphabetical order. Languages included on the panel are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

Denominations in union level official languages (At below either ends)
Language 5 10 20 50 100 500 1000
English Five rupees Ten rupees Twenty rupees Fifty rupees One hundred rupees Five hundred rupees One thousand rupees
Hindi पाँच रुपये दस रुपये बीस रुपये पचास रुपये एक सौ रुपये पांच सौ रुपये एक हज़ार रुपये
Denominations in 15 state level/other official languages (As seen on the language panel)
Assamese পাঁচ টকা দহ টকা বিছ টকা পঞ্চাশ টকা এশ টকা পাঁচশ টকা এহেজাৰ টকা
Bengali পাঁচ টাকা দশ টাকা কুড়ি টাকা পঞ্চাশ টাকা একশ টাকা পাঁচশ টাকা এক হাজার টাকা
Gujarati પાંચ રૂપિયા દસ રૂપિયા વીસ રૂપિયા પચાસ રૂપિયા સો રૂપિયા પાંચ સો રૂપિયા એક હજાર રૂપિયા
Kannada ಐದು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಹತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಐವತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಒಂದು ನೂರು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಐದು ನೂರು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಒಂದು ಸಾವಿರ ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು
Kashmiri پانٛژھ رۄپیہِ دٔہ رۄپیہِ وُہ رۄپیہِ پَنٛژاہ رۄپیہِ ہَتھ رۄپیہِ پانٛژھ ہَتھ رۄپیہِ ساس رۄپیہِ
Konkani पांच रुपया धा रुपया वीस रुपया पन्नास रुपया शंबर रुपया पाचशें रुपया एक हजार रुपया
Malayalam അഞ്ചു രൂപ പത്തു രൂപ ഇരുപതു രൂപ അൻപതു രൂപ നൂറു രൂപ അഞ്ഞൂറു രൂപ ആയിരം രൂപ
Marathi पाच रुपये दहा रुपये वीस रुपये पन्नास रुपये शंभर रुपये पाचशे रुपये एक हजार रुपये
Nepali पाँच रुपियाँ दस रुपियाँ बीस रुपियाँ पचास रुपियाँ एक सय रुपियाँ पाँच सय रुपियाँ एक हजार रुपियाँ
Odia ପାଞ୍ଚ ଟଙ୍କା ଦଶ ଟଙ୍କା କୋଡିଏ ଟଙ୍କା ପଚାଶ ଟଙ୍କା ଏକ ଶତ ଟଙ୍କା ପାଞ୍ଚ ଶତ ଟଙ୍କା ଏକ ହଜାର ଟଙ୍କା
Punjabi ਪੰਜ ਰੁਪਏ ਦਸ ਰੁਪਏ ਵੀਹ ਰੁਪਏ ਪੰਜਾਹ ਰੁਪਏ ਇਕ ਸੌ ਰੁਪਏ ਪੰਜ ਸੌ ਰੁਪਏ ਇਕ ਹਜ਼ਾਰ ਰੁਪਏ
Sanskrit पञ्चरूप्यकाणि दशरूप्यकाणि विंशती रूप्यकाणि पञ्चाशत् रूप्यकाणि शतं रूप्यकाणि पञ्चशतं रूप्यकाणि सहस्रं रूप्यकाणि
Tamil ஐந்து ரூபாய் பத்து ரூபாய் இருபது ரூபாய் ஐம்பது ரூபாய் நூறு ரூபாய் ஐந்நூறு ரூபாய் ஆயிரம் ரூபாய்
Telugu ఐదు రూపాయలు పది రూపాయలు ఇరవై రూపాయలు ఏబది రూపాయలు నూరు రూపాయలు ఐదువందల రూపాయలు వెయ్యి రూపాయలు
Urdu پانچ روپیے دس روپیے بیس روپیے پچاس روپیے سو روپیے پانچ سو روپیے ایک ہزار روپیے

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Reserve Bank of India Currency Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Archived 2011-01-16 at the Wayback Machine 9 January 2012
  2. ^ "Reserve Bank of India — Bank Notes". Rbi.org.in. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.