Personalities & Events on Rep. India Coins

Hello all,

Years ago, I used to write a small blurb on each commemorative coin coming out of India on another forum. I'm thinking of restarting it here again.

Republic Indian coins can seem banal, what with all those portrait commemoratives. However you've probably heard the saying, it's the people that make the country. I'm hoping that those who collect or who would like to collect Indian coins can find this useful to appreciate their Indian collections a little bit more. I surely do!

I will start uploading what I have already written before and then tackle a new/old commem issue every other week. You can click on the denomination in each heading in the following posts to go to the coin page

I WOULD APPRECIATE PEOPLE REFRAINING FROM POSTING IN THIS TOPIC AS IT BECOMES DIFFICULT FOR THOSE INTERESTED TO READ THROUGH THE ACTUAL BLURBS.

I hope you will enjoy this!


Sl. No YEAR SUBJECT MINT SET ISSUED BY CIRCULATING DENOM. NCLT DENOM.

1 1950 Rupia-Anna Series Mumbai 1Pi,1/2A,1A,2A,4A,1/2,1
2 1954 Rupia-Anna Series Mumbai 1Pi,1/2A,1A,2A,4A,1/2,1
3 1962 Decimal Coin Set Mumbai 1p,2p,5p,10p,25p,50p,1
4 1964 JAWAHARLAL NEHRU (DEATH) Mumbai 50p,1
5 1967 Decimal Coin Set Mumbai 1p,2p,3p,5p,10p,25p,50p,1
6 1969 MAHATMA GANDHI Mumbai 20p,50p,1,10
7 1970 FAO- FOOD FOR ALL Mumbai 20,10
8 1971 FAO- FOOD FOR ALL Mumbai 20,10
9 1972 25 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE Mumbai 50,10
10 1973 GROW MORE FOOD Mumbai 50p, 10,20
11 1974 PLANNED FAMILIES Mumbai 10p, 10,50
12 1975 Equality Development Peace Mumbai 10p, 10,50
13 1976 FOOD AND WORK FOR ALL Mumbai 5p,10p, 10,50
14 1977 SAVE FOR DEVELOPMENT Mumbai 5p,10p, 10,50
15 1978 FOOD AND SHELTER FOR ALL Mumbai 5p,10p, 10,50
16 1979 HAPPY CHILD- NATIONS PRIDE Mumbai 5p,10p, 10,50
17 1980 Rural Women Advancement Mumbai 10p,25p, 10,100
18 1981 WORLD FOOD DAY Mumbai 10p,25p, 10,100
19 1981 YEAR OF THE CHILD Mumbai 100
20 1982 WORLD FOOD DAY FAO 10p,20p
21 1982 IX ASIAN GAMES Mumbai 10p,25p,2 10,100
22 1982 NATIONAL INTEGRATION Mumbai 50p, 2, 10,100
23 1983 FISHERIES 20p
24 1985 INDIRA GANDHI Mumbai 50p,5, 20,100
25 1985 FORESTRY FOR DEVELOPMENT 25p
26 1985 RBI GOLDEN JUBILEE Mumbai 50p,2, 5,10,100
27 1985 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR Kolkata 1, 10,100
28 1986 FISHERIES - FAO Mumbai 50p, 20,100
29 1987 SMALL FARMERS Mumbai 1, 20,100
30 1988 RAINFED FARMING 1
31 1989 FOOD & ENVIRONMENT 1
32 1989 JAWAHAR LAL NEHRU Mumbai 1,5, 20,100
33 1990 DR B R AMBEDKAR CENTENARY 1
34 1990 WORLD FOOD DAY: FOOD FOR FUTURE 1
35 1990 CARE FOR GIRL CHILD - SAARC YEAR 1
36 1990 15 YEARS OF ICDS 1
37 1991 TOURISM YEAR Mumbai 1, 2,5
38 1991 RAJIV GANDHI 1
39 1991 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE Mumbai 1, 5,10
40 1992 WORLD FOOD DAY-FOOD AND NUTRITION 1
41 1992 QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT GOLDEN JUBILEE Mumbai 1, 10,50,100
42 1992 LAND: VITAL RESOURCES 2
43 1993 WORLD FOOD DAY - BIO DIVERSITY 2
44 1993 SMALL FAMILY- HAPPY FAMILY 2
45 1993 89TH INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION CONF 1, 5,10
46 1993 NATIONAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION 2
47 1994 WORLD FOOD DAY-WATER FOR LIFE 2
48 1994 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FAMILY 1
49 1994 WORLD OF WORK ILO Mumbai 5, 50,100
50 1995 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORG 5
51 1995 50TH ANNIV OF UNITED NATIONS 5
52 1995 AGRI-EXPO95 GLOBALIZING INDIAN AGRICULTURE 2
53 1995 8TH WORLD TAMIL CONF / ST THIRUVALLUVAR 1,2,5
54 1996 MOTHERS HEALTH IS CHILD'S HEALTH 5
55 1996 SARDAR VALLABH BHAI PATEL Mumbai 2, 10,50,100
56 1996 2ND INT'L CROP SCIENCE CONGRESS Kolkata 5
57 1997 SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE CENTENARY Kolkata 2, 10,50,100
58 1997 50TH YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE 50p, 50
59 1997 CELLULAR JAIL PORT BLAIR 1
60 1997 Interparliamentary Conference 5,50,100
61 1998 DESHBANDHU CHITTRANJAN DAS Kolkata 2, 10,50,100
62 1998 SRI AUROBINDO -ALL LIFE IS YOGA Mumbai 2, 10,50,100
63 1999 CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI Mumbai 2, 50,100
64 1999 SANT DYNANESHWAR 1274 -1296 AD Kolkata 1, 100
65 2000 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Mumbai 2, 50
66 2001 BHAGWAN MAHAVIR 2600 JANM KALYANAK Mumbai 5, 100
67 2001 DR SYAMA PRASAD MUKEERJEE CENTENARY Mumbai 2, 10,50,100
68 2002 LOK NAYAK JAY PRAKASH NARAYAN CENTENARY Mumbai 1, 10,100
69 2002 SAINT TUKARAM Mumbai 2, 10,50,100
70 2003 MAHARANA PRATAP Mumbai 1, 10,100
71 2003 RAILWAYS: 150 GLORIOUS YEARS Mumbai 2, 100
72 2003 VEER DURGA DAS Mumbai 1, 10,100
73 2004 DADABHAI NAOROJI 1825 -1915 Mumbai 5
74 2004 150 YEARS: INDIA POST Mumbai 1,100
75 2004 K KAMRAJ 1903 - 1975 Mumbai 5, 100
76 2004 150 YEARS OF TELECOMMUNICATION Kolkata 2,100
77 2005 75 YEARS OF DANDI MARCH Mumbai 5, 100
78 2005 LAL BAHADUR SHAHSTRI BIRTH CENTENARY Kolkata 5, 100
79 2005 New Coinage Series: Unity in Diversity Set Var 1,2,5,10
80 2006 Bicentenary of SBI Kolkata 5, 100
81 2006 Sant Basaveshwara Mumbai 5, 100
82 2006 Jagat Guru Sree Narayan Gurudev Mumbai 5, 100
83 2006 ONGC 50: CELEBRATING INDIA Kolkata 5, 50
84 2007 New Coinage Series: Information Technology Set Var 5,10
85 2007 150 Birth Anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak Mumbai 5, 100
86 2007 150 Yr - First War of independence Mumbai 5, 100
87 2007 Khadi & Village Industries Commission: 50 Years Mumbai 5, 50
88 2007 IAF Platinum Jubilee Kolkata 2,100
89 2008 New Coinage Series: Natya (Hastha) Mudra Set Var 50p,1,2
90 2008 Ter Centenary Gur Ta Gaddi Mumbai 10,100
91 2008 Shaheed Bhagat Singh Birth Centenary Kolkata 5, 100
92 2009 Louis Braille Kolkata 2, 100
93 2009 Centenary of Sister Alphonsa Mumbai 5, 100
94 2009 Homi Bhabha Birth Centenary Year Mumbai 10, 100
95 2009 Perignar Anna Centenary Kolkata 5, 100
96 2009 60 Years of The Commonwealth Mumbai 5, 100
97 2009 Dr Rajendra Prasad 125 Birth Anniversary Kolkata 5, 100
98 2010 100th Anniversary of C Subramanium Mumbai 5, 100
99 2010 100th Anniversary of Mother Teresa Kolkata 5, 100
100 2010 Reserve Bank of India Platinum Jubilee Mumbai 1,2,5,10, 75
101 2010 1000 Years of Brihadeshwara Temple Thanjavur Mumbai 5, 1000
102 2010 XIX Commonwealth Games Delhi Kolkata 2,5, 100
103 2010 Income Tax: 150 Years of Building India Chanakya Kolkata 5, 150
104 2011 Rabindranath Tagore 150th Birth Anniversary Kolkata 5, 150
105 2011 New Coinage Series Var 50p,1,2,5,10
106 2011 Indian Council of Medical Research: Centenary Year Mumbai 5, 100
107 2011 100 Years: Civil Aviation India Mumbai 5, 100
108 2011 Comptroller & Auditor General of India 1860-2010 Kolkata 5, 150
109 2012 60 Years of India Government Mint Kolkata 1952-2012 Kolkata 5, 60
110 2012 60 Years of the Parliament of India Mumbai 5, 100
111 2012 150th Anniversary of Motilal Nehru Mumbai 5, 150
112 2012 150th Anniversary of Kuka Movement Mumbai 5, 100
113 2012 150th Anniversary of Madan Mohan Malaviya Mumbai 5, 150
114 2012 Silver Jubilee of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Mumbai 5,10, 25
115 2013 150th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda Mumbai 5, 150
116 2013 125th Anniversary of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Kolkata 5, 20
117 2014 Birth Centenary of Acharya Tulsi Mumbai 5, 20
118 2014 Diamond Jubilee of the Coir Board Mumbai 10, 60
119 2014 100th Anniverdary of Komagata Maru Incident Mumbai 5, 100
120 2014 Begum Akhtar Centenary Kolkata 5, 100
121 2014 125th Anniversary of Jawahar Lal Nehru Mumbai 5, 125
122 2014 175th Birth Anniversary of Jamsetji N Tata Kolkata 5, 100
123 2015 Mahatma Gandhi Return from South Africa -Centenary Mumbai 10, 100
124 2015 Golden Jubilee of BHEL Kolkata 5, 50
125 2015 Birth Centenary of Swami Chinmayanand Kolkata 10, 100
126 2015 1st International Day of Yoga Kolkata 10, 100
127 2015 Rani Gaidinliu: Birth Centenary Kolkata 5, 100
128 2015 Dr S Radhakrishnan: 125th Birth Anniversary Kolkata 10, 125
129 2015 Golden Jubilee of 1965 Operations Mumbai 5, 50
130 2015 3rd India Africa Forum Summit Kolkata 10, 500
131 2015 Dr B R Ambedkar -125th Birth Anniversary Mumbai 10, 125
132 2015 Lala Lajpat Rai - 150th Birth Anniversary Kolkata 10, 150
133 2015 200th Birth Anniversary of Tatya Tope Kolkata 10, 200
134 2015 475th Anniversary of Maharana Pratap Mumbai 10, 100
135 2015 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centenary Kolkata 5, 100
136 2015 500th Anniversary Return of Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu Kolkata 10, 500
137 2015 1000th Anniversary Jagannath Nabakalevara Mumbai 10, 1000
138 2016 Biju Patnaik Birth Centenary Kolkata 5, 100
139 2016 National Archives of India -125 Years Mumbai 10, 125
140 2016 150th Anniversary of Allahabad High Court Mumbai 5, 150
141 2016 Centenary of Banaras Hindu University Mumbai 10, 100
142 2016 Centenary of Mysore University Mumbai 5, 100
143 2016 MS Subbulakshmi Centenary Mumbai 10, 100
144 2016 350th Anniversary Guru Gobind Singh Mumbai 350
145 2016 100th Anniversary MG Ramchandran Mumbai 5, 100
146 2016 200th Anniversary Satguru Ram Singh  ?? 10, 200
147 2017 Bi-Centenary of Paika Bidroha Mumbai 200
148 2017 150th Anniversary Shrimad Rajchandra Kolkata 10, 150
149 2018 100th Anniversary of PC Mahalabonis Kolkata 5 , 125
150 2018 100th Anniversary Atal Bihari Vajpayee Mumbai 100
151 2018 75th Anniversary of Flag Hoisting Mumbai 75
152 2019 100th Anniversary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre Kolkata 100
153 2019 New Coinage Series: Agricultural Theme Var 1, 2, 5, 10, 20
154 2019 550th Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev  ?? 550
155 2019 100th Anniversary of Vikram Sarabhai  ?? 100
156 2019 100th Anniversary of Vijaya Raje Scindia  ?? 100
157 2019 100th Anniversary of Yogyananda Paramhansa ?? 100
158 2019 250th Sitting of the Rajya Sabha ?? 250
159 2019 150th Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi Mumbai 150
*Denominations in bold indicate NCLT coins. If you see a , that means I've written about it

125TH ANNIVERSARY DR. RAJENDRA PRASAD 1884-2009 (Rs.100,5)

Rajendra Prasad was a pivotal leader of the Indian Nationalist Movement and also one of the architects of the Indian Constitution. Prior to joining the struggle for Independence, Prasad was an academic who also had a thriving legal practice. He was elected as the first President of the Republic and was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.

Fun Fact : First time a President has been commemorated on a coin (we already had four Prime Ministers viz Nehru, Shastri, Indira & Rajiv)

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr_Rajendra_Prasad

150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF LOKMANYA BAL GANGADHAR TILAK 2007 (Rs100,5)

- “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it”

Considered as a founding father of the Indian Independence movement, Tilak was popularly bestowed the title of Lokmanya (Beloved by the people). Among the first generation of Indians to receive a western-style education, Tilak went on to teach mathematics in Pune and later became a journalist. Unenamoured by the education curriculum of the time (which he felt ignored Indian culture, history and values), he set up the Deccan Education Society. Besides, he staunchly promoted the cause of women and their rights. He also launched two weeklies i.e. Kesari (in Marathi) and Mahratta (in English) which he used to spread his messages and highlight government abuses. As a tool for political mobilization, Tilak organized public Ganesh Chathurthi and Shivaji Jayanti celebrations which today are considered tradition in Maharashtra and other areas of India. Differing views with other congress members led Tilak to set up the Home Rule League. His call for Swaraj (self governance) inspired many to rally behind him.

Fun Fact : Although adding the suffix "ji" to the name of a person indicates respect in Hindi, Tilak was apparently never referred to as such. When the coins were first unveiled, certain local politicians seizing on the issue, threatened protests if the coins were not withdrawn. Changes were immediately made and the "ji" was dropped.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokmanya_Tilak

PERARIGNAR ANNA CENTENARY 1909-1969 (2009) (Rs.100,5)

Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai was the first non-Congress leader to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Influenced by the philosophy of his mentor Periyar, Annadurai was a firm proponent of the Tamil cause and led the Anti-Hindi demonstrations in the late 1930’s and then in the 1960’s that ensured that Hindi would not be the sole official language of India. Not only did he edit various journals, he also scripted many Tamil movies which dealt with various social issues of the time and was considered an accomplished Tamil litterateur. Although he initially supported the concept of an independent Tamil Nadu (or Dravida Nadu), differences with Periyar led him to moderate his views and establish the DMK party which has led several governments in Tamil Nadu. He is fondly remembered as Anna (elder brother) amongst Tamilians.

Fun Fact: First Indian coin to carry Tamil Script, although just a signature.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._N._Annadurai

HOMI BHABHA BIRTH CENTENARY YEAR 2008-2009 (Rs.100,10)

Homi Jehangir Bhabha (regarded as the Father of Indian Atomic Science) helped lay the foundations for various premier scientific institutions in India such as the Tata Institute of Fundamental research, Trombay Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the Cosmic Ray Research unit at IISC. He worked with Niels Bohr on the quantum theory. Besides, he also worked on the cascade theory of electron showers and on the identification of the meson. He served as the Indian Atomic Energy Commissions first chairman and had chaired the UN Conference held in Geneva on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in 1955.

Fun Fact: since 2008-2009 was designated as the year long celebrations dedicated to Nuclear Science, Mint staffers were simply told to put this date construct on the coin. Not an error as many dealers may try to convince you to beleive.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homi_Bhabha

C SUBRAMANIUM BIRTH CENTENARY 1910-2010 (Rs.100,5)

Chidambaram Subramaniam wore many hats - freedom fighter, member of the Constituent Assembly, Constitution framer, Agriculture Minister during the emergency & Governor of Maharashtra. CS as he was often called, is best known as the architect of India’s modern agricultural development policy, which led to a record production of wheat in 1972 — heralding the Indian Green Revolution. As Minister for Food and Agriculture, he pushed for the adoption of high-yielding varieties of seeds and fertilizer-intensive farming which paved the way for increased output of cereals in the late 60s and eventual self-sufficiency in this area. Famine was no more a major concern in the country. Among his protégés were M.S. Swaminathan who took the green revolution forward, former Agriculture Secretary Sivaraman and Verghese Kurien, Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board. CS Founded the National Agro Foundation, Chennai and Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli.

Fun Fact : A mule coin exists which were widely available in the UNC mint sets as far I recall

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_Subramaniam
NYTimes Obituary : http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/10/world/chidambaram-subramaniam-india-s-green-rebel-90-dies.html

MOTHER TERESA BIRTH CENTENARY 1910-2010 (Rs100,5)

No introductions needed here; so I won't take the time to write anything on this great soul

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa

SAINT ALPHONSA BIRTH CENTENARY 1910-2009 (Rs.100,5)

Alphonsamma, as she was locally known, took her vows in 1936 under the tutelage of the Fanciscan Clarist Congregation. Saint Alphonsa (born Annakutty Muttathupadathu) is the first person of (*full) Indian origin to be canonized by the Catholic Church and the first canonized saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church of the Saint Thomas Christian community. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1986 in Kottayam, in recognition of the numerous miracles through intercessory prayers to her. The miracle that was attributed to her intercession and approved by the Vatican for canonization was the healing of the club foot a Muslim infant in 1985 in Thalassery district of Kerala. She was elevated to sainthood on 12 October 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI. In the homily, Pope Benedict XVI recalled Saint Alphonsa's life as one of "extreme physical and spiritual suffering."

* Saint Gonçalo Garcia, born in 1556 in Vasai (also called Bassein) near Mumbai to an Indian mother and Portuguese father, was declared a saint in the 19th century.

Fun Fact : First Catholic personality to be commemorated on an Indian coin. Christians form 2.5% of the population (me included ).

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Alphonsa

LOUIS BRAILLE 1809-2009 (Rs.100,2)

In post-Independence Indian numismatics, Louis Braille is the only non-Indian *citizen to be commemorated so far. This is clearly a universal appreciation to a man whose timeless legacy has helped and is still helping millions of people to lead a more normal and freer life. I think it is applaudable that the Indian govt shared this sentiment. I won't write about a man that all of us should and must know about!

*Mother Teresa, although born in Skopje, present-day Macedonia, attained Indian citizenship in 1951

Fun Fact: First Indian coin to carry the Braille Script.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_braille

RABINDRANATH TAGORE 150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 1861-2011 (Rs.150,5)

An icon of modern & specifically bengali literature and poetry (as well as art & theatre), Tagore is revered in India, Bangladesh and beyond. Tagore penned Jana Gana Mana, the Indian national anthem as well as Amar Shonar Bangla, the Bangladeshi national anthem. He also holds the distinction as the first Asian recipient of the Nobel prize (for literature) in 1913 for his work "Gitanjali", a collection of poems. His views on how to attain independence and social reform often put him at logger-heads with other Indian leaders, yet he actively campaigned against imperialism and even returned his knighthood after the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. Among his other notable contributions are his founding of the Vishwa Bharti University at Santiniketan in 1921, now a prestigious institution which was recognised by the Govt in 1951.

Fun Fact : The first Rs150 coin to be issued. Oddly enough, the coin was minted and despatched in 2010 although 2011 would be his 150th Anniversary.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore

Young Tagore

SHAHEED BHAGAT SINGH BIRTH CENTENARY 1907-2007 (Rs.100,5)

- Inquilab Zindabad! (Long Live the Revolution!)

Bhagat Singh grew up in a Jat Sikh family that fought the East India Company and the British under Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army and later during the revolt of 1857. Although he initially participated in the Nationalist Movement lead by the Congress, Bhagat Singh, heavily influenced by Anarchist & Marxist ideology, later joined the Hindustan Republican Association that advocated armed insurrection against the government. Many attribute his changed attitudes to the fatal lathi charge on Lala Lajpat Rai (a prominent leader) who was leading a peaceful demonstration against the Simon Commission in Lahore. Singh went to jail the first time for his attempt to assassinate Lahore’s Chief of Police (to avenge Lajpat Rai’s death). Later, he along with his comrades would lob a bomb in the corridors of the Central Legislative Assembly where an on-going session was about to pass the draconian Defence of India Act. The bomb went off without any casualties. Bhagat Singh was soon tried and hanged. An ongoing debate still rages whether the bomb had intended targets or whether it was merely a sensational way to get national attention. To his supporters, he was immortalised as Shaheed (Martyr).

Fun Fact : A somewhat frivolous incident occurred during the coin's unveiling ceremony, during which, the Chief Minister of Punjab insisted that Bhagat Singh should have been pictured with a turban (since Bhagat Singh was Sikh). As a result, the coin's minting was delayed. However, Bhagat Singh's family highlighted that he was an avowed atheist for many years before his death, insisting that the current portrait be maintained. The Rs5 coin as a result was not released into circulation until early 2012. It's obverse is uniquely different to all other commemorative Rs.5 coins issued so far.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagat_Singh

INDIAN AIRFORCE PLATINUM JUBILEE 1932-2007 (Rs2, Rs 100)

The Indian Air Force (Prefixed “Royal in 1945; dropped in 1950) was founded in 1932 as an auxiliary unit of the RAF. It saw its first combat missions under the leadership of Flight Lieutenant (later Air Vice Marshal) Cecil Bouchier during WWII, carrying out sorties against Japanese imperial forces in Thailand and Burma. Independence and the ensuing partition in 1947 saw three squadrons go to Pakistan while India retained the other nine. The IAF is the fourth largest Airforce globally operating more than 1600 aircrafts and over sixty air bases (including one in Tajikistan). Based on its British command structure legacy, Air Chief Marshall Pradeep Vasant Naik (Vice Chief Norman Browne is slated to take over) leads 170,000 IAF personnel.
The IAF uses a mix of mostly Russian aircraft, but has diversified over the last 20 yrs to include French, UK, American and Isreali technologies apart from its project to build its first indigenous combat aircraft. With India’s growing ambitions on the world stage, the often hostile nature of its neighbourhood and the need to replace an aging fleet, the IAF has been spending billions on expansion and modernisation. It will soon ink a $12bn deal to buy 126 (either French Rafael or EADS Eurofighter) jets in December 2011. The IAF also has a large fleet of various helicopters, Un-manned aerial drones, ballistic missiles as well as three dedicated satellites.
The major missions undertaken by the IAF are :
- First years of Independence (1947 – 1950) : The day after Maharaja Hari Singh of J&K signed the instrument of accession, the IAF airlifted thousands of soldiers to repel Pakistani tribesmen and militias from the State. Two-thirds of occupied territories were recovered before a UN brokered cease-fire came into effect.
- Congo Crisis & Liberation of Goa (1960 – 61): Following the abrupt departure of Congo’s Belgian rulers, the IAF sent its 5th Squadron to assist UN operations where they remained till 1966 as the UN’s only long-range air support force and helped destroy the rebel air force. In 1961, following failed talks with Portugal’s Salazar Regime; the IAF was pressed into action to liberate Goa, Daman and Diu. The IAF bombed Dabolim airport’s runway and other military installations securing the surrender of the Portuguese forces in a few days.
- Wars with Pakistan and China (1962 – 71) : In 1962, Indo-Tibetan border tensions with China quickly escalated to full scale war, yet the IAF was deployed relatively late and ineffectively resulting in major losses in Aksai Chin in J&K (still under Chinese control) and in the North East (the Chinese withdrew later). Three years later, in 1965, India & Pakistan declared war over Kashmir eventually maintaining the status-quo. This was the first time that the IAF actively engaged enemy planes. India and Pakistan went to war again in 1971 resulting in the Liberation of East Pakistan (now called Bangladesh). The IAF acquired complete air supremacy over the eastern frontier and helped India make deep inroads into West Pakistan. India’s military superiority over Pakistan was firmly established with the conclusion of this war.
- Other major events (1984-date) : The IAF helped the army secure the Siachen Glacier in 1984, a particularly impressive feet in view of the inhospitable terrain. In 1987, the IAF supplied humanitarian aid as well as Indian peacekeepers to the Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka in an attempt to broker a peace deal between the govt and the LTTE (with disastrous consequences to India and Sri Lanka). The IAF was again pressed into service in 1988 to fly Indian soldiers to the Maldives and restore President Gayoom who was deposed in a coup d’état. The IAF’s last significant operation occurred in 1999 when Pakistani militants supported by that army, lodged themselves in the un-inhabited Kargil heights (a few kilometres into the Indian side of the Line of control in J&K). The IAF carried out a major bombing campaign for a little more than a month before the militants finally withdrew/ were killed.

Fun Fact : The Rs.2 coin has not been reported to circulate

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_air_force
Official Website : http://indianairforce.nic.in/

RESERVE BANK OF INDIA GOLDEN JUBILEE 1935-1985 (Rs100,10,2,50p)/ RESERVE BANK OF INDIA PLATINUM JUBILEE 1935-2010 (Rs.75,10,5,2,1)

The RBI was founded in 1935 following the recommendations of the Hilton-Young Commission, to act as the Central banker to the govt. (both at the central and state level) as a result of the economic turmoil post WWI. Initially based at Calcutta, the Head Office was shifted to Bombay in 1937. The RBI also acted as the central banker to Burma 1937- 1947 and to Pakistan until June 1948. It also issued Indian Banknotes (known as Gulf Rupees) exclusively for circulation in the Persian Gulf States between 1959 & 1969. The notes were distinguishable from normal Indian currency by their colour and serial Number Prefix “Z”. The RBI (a shareholder's bank) was nationalised in 1949. During the 1950’s and 1960’s several large banks were nationalised and placed under the direct supervision of the RBI with the express purpose to implement govt. policies in relation to agriculture, retention of foreign exchange and overall economic development (in keeping with India’s quasi-socialist economy). Due to the economic crisis in 1991, the economy has gradually been de-regulated and the RBI has now been entrusted primarily with ensuring a stable money supply, enacting more flexible banking regulations and overseeing the country’s foreign reserves (currently around $300bn). The RBI also supervises the Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India (SPMCIL) which produces the nation’s banknotes and coins.The RBI is governed by a Central Board of Directors appointed by the govt. and currently headed by the 22nd Governor D. Subbarao (PM Manmohan Singh was the 15th Governor from 1982 to 1985). It has been credited with following a cautious approach to banking and currency de-regulations which helped India avoid much of the 1997 East Asian currency crises as well as the 2008 global financial markets meltdown.

Fun Fact : First Rs75 coin to be issued. The design of the RBI 2010 coin is the second time that a motif has been re-cycled (from the one issued in 1985). The RBI Logo is an adaptation of the Palm tree and lion that was used on East India Company gold Mohurs. The lion had however been replaced with a Tiger.

With much thanks to a good friend for answering a long-standing question :

The selection of the Bank's common seal to be used as the emblem of the Bank on currency notes, checks, and publications, was an issue that had to be taken up at an early stage of the Bank's formation. The general ideas on the seal were as follows:
- The seal should emphasize the Governmental status of the Bank, but not too closely;
- It should have something Indian in the design;
- It should be simple, artistic and heraldic correct; and
- The design should be such that it could be used without substantial alteration for letter heading, etc.
For this purpose, various seals, medals and coins were examined. The East India Company Double Mohur, with the sketch of the Lion and Palm Tree, was found most suitable; however, it was decided to replace the lion by the tiger, the latter being regarded as the more characteristic animal of India!
To meet the immediate requirements in connection with the stamping of the Bank's share certificates, the work was entrusted to a Madras firm. The Board, at its meeting on February 23, 1935, approved the design of the seal but desired improvement of the animal's appearance. Unfortunately it was not possible to make any major changes at that stage. But the Deputy Governor, Sir James Taylor, did not rest content with this. He took keen interest in getting fresh sketches prepared by the Government of India Mint and the Security Printing Press, Nasik. As a basis for good design, he arranged for a photograph to be taken of the statue of the tiger on the entrance gate at Belvedere, Calcutta. Something or the other went wrong with the sketches so that Sir James, writing in September I938, was led to remark:
"...... s tree is all right but his tiger looks too like some species of dog, and I am afraid that a design of a dog and a tree would arouse derision among the irreverent. .....'s tiger is distinctly good but the tree has spoiled it. The stem is too long and the branches too spidery, but I should have thought that by putting a firm line under the feet of his tiger and making his tree stronger and lower we could get quite a good result from his design."
Later, with further efforts, it was possible to have better proofs prepared by the Security Printing Press, Nasik. However, it was eventually decided not to make any change in the existing seal of the Bank, and the new sketches came to be used as an emblem for the Bank's currency notes, letter-heads, cheques and publications issued by the Bank.
Source: 'History of the Reserve Bank of India' | Indiacoins.org (http://www.indiacoins.org/2012/08/reserve-bank-of-india-jubilee-coins.html)

Official Website : http://www.rbi.org.in
Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_Bank_of_India
More on Gulf Rupee : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_rupee

1000 YEARS OF BRIHADEESHWARA TEMPLE THANJAVUR 2010 (Rs1000,5)

Also known as Peruvudaiyar Koyli or Rajarajeswaram, this temple has been classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, designated “Great Living Chola Temples” as religious ceremonies have been conducted un-interrupted at the site since its consecration 1000yrs ago. Located in present day Tamil Nadu and completed in 1010 AD under the patronage of King Raja Raja Chola I, the temple is among the largest and finest examples of purely dravid-style temple architecture. The temple complex is built entirely using granite stone with the main tower, called Vimana, constituting thirteen stories (nearly 220ft high). There are several smaller temples and ornamental gates spread across the complex although the main temple itself is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple was also unique in that it served as a channel through which the king disbursed state funds to his subjects.

Fun Fact : First Rs1000 coin issued. The Government, under the Indian Coinage Act 1906, can issue coins with a maximum face value of upto Rs1000. After a gap of nearly 1000yrs, Raja Raja Chola I once again appears on a coin! This set has been a relative hit with collectors and non collectors alike and has seen the highest commemorative set mintage (anticipation is however very high for the Mata Vaishno Devi set). There are 2 ashoka varieties of the Rs.5 coin.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadeeswarar_Temple
Read more on Raja Raja Chola I : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Raja_Chola_I
Online Virtual Tour of the Temple : http://www.view360.in/virtualtour/thanjavur/



Raja Chola Kahavanu

TER-CENTENARY OF GUR-TA-GADDI 2008 (Rs10)

A little on Sikhism: Sikhism was founded in the 15th Century by Guru Nanak. It constitutes the 5th largest organised religious community in the world although it is primarily concentrated in Punjab, India where Sikhs form the majority population. Sikhism’s principal beliefs are faith and justice (Waheguru), the oneness of god & equality of man (i.e. the rejection of caste & emphasis on equality of women) along with various other tenets that include Hindu and Muslim belief systems as well. However, under constant threat of Moghul persecution, especially during Emperor Aurangzeb’s reign in the 17th century, the Sikhs organised themselves into a martial force under the guidance of the 10th Guru - Guru Gobind Singh. Harminder Sahib (the Golden Temple) in Amritsar is the nerve centre of the Sikh Faith and houses the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (which was finalised by Guru Gobind Singh). The temple was shelled by army tanks during Operation Blue Star in 1984 inorder to evict heavily armed Khalistani militants who barricaded themselves inside the complex. The entire complex was quickly rebuilt and restored to its original form soon after.

The Guru Granth Sahib: Also known as the Adi Granth, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the religious text of Sikhism. It contains 1430 pages (known as “Angs” i.e. Limbs) that collate the hymns and prayers (known as Ragas) of the previous ten Gurus. The Adi Granth was first compiled by the 5th Guru, Guru Arjan Dev from hymns of the first five Sikh gurus and other great saints, including those of the Hindu and Muslim faith. It was continuously supplemented by successive Gurus thereafter. It is written in the Gurmukhi script, with occasional use of Braj Bhasha, Khariboli, Sanskrit and Persian, generically titled as Sant Bhasha (i.e. Language of Saints). In 1708 at Nanded (present day Maharashtra), Guru Gobind Singh declared that the Adi Granth would be elevated to Guru Granth Sahib and would be the perpetual Guru of the Sikhs. As a sign of respect, people must cover their heads, have their feet and hands washed and walk bare-feet in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. The Supreme Court of India has even designated the Guru Granth Sahib as a “Juristic Person”. The Guru Granth Sahib is unique as it is a first hand account of the founders and original theological leaders of the Sikh faith (unlike the Zen Avesta, Torah, Bible & Koran).

Fun Fact : The Rs.10 coin has not been reported to circulate. This is the first coin of Independent India to carry the Gurmukhi script as well as the first bimetallic commemorative coin issued in India. It was unveiled even before the Rs10 “Cross” coins became available (though these coins date from 2005). The Sachkhand Shri Hazur Sahib is portrayed on the coin.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Granth_Sahib
About Sikhism : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism
Operation Bluestar : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blue_Star

Folio Sri Guru Granth Sahib





The 10 Gurus

STATE BANK OF INDIA 1806- 2006 (Rs100,5)

- The Banker to every Indian

The bank traces its roots to British India, to the founding in 1806 of the Bank of Calcutta, making it the oldest commercial bank in the Indian Subcontinent. The Bank of Calcutta was merged with the other Presidency banks viz. Bombay & Madras to eventually form the Imperial Bank of India in 1921 by Royal Charter. The Imperial Bank inherited from these banks, the exclusive right to issue paper currency until the RBI assumed this role in 1935. The RBI, as per a directive of the govt. acquired a controlling stake in the Imperial Bank (a joint stock company) in 1955 and renamed it as the State Bank of India. The Govt, later on, acquired the RBI’s interest in SBI in order to avoid any conflict of interest since the RBI was the nation’s Central Banker. In 1959, the govt. directed the SBI to take over eight former princely state associated banks as its subsidiaries, three of which have since merged with the SBI. The SBI, with over 26,500 branches and 45000 ATMs, has the largest banking branch network in India. It also has around 130 branches overseas. With an asset base of $352 billion and $285 billion in deposits, it is a regional banking behemoth and is one of the largest financial institutions in the world. The bank engages in a gamut of services ranging from simple retail banking & insurance to mutual funds and wealth management.

Fun Fact: The Cu-Ni version of this coin was never widely released into circulation though they are available in limited quantities with dealers at a very high premium.

CELEBRATING INDIA ONGC 1956-2006 (Rs5 CuNi, Rs50 in sets | Rs5 FSS)

The Oil & Natural Gas Corporation was created by a Govt. resolution in 1948, undergoing several changes until it was finally re-constituted in its present form in 1994 under the Companies Act. The need for such an organisation was felt immediately after India’s independence where oil exploration & supply was dominated by a handful of foreign companies, leaving the country and govt. vulnerable to market volatility and global political crises. Along with GAIL & Oil India Ltd, ONGC has made significant progress in finding new gas & oil fields such as Bombay High, the Krishna-Godavari Basin off the coast of Andhra Pradesh and the Cairn-Rajasthan Oilfield (a joint venture with Cairn Energy UK) - prior to 1950, Digboi in Assam was the only known large oil block. ONGC has recently begun an aggressive campaign to modernise its oil rigs, drilling wells and overall technical operations and has embarked on an ambitious shopping spree, picking up contracts across the world, especially in Africa, Latin America and Central Asia. It has diversified Upstream, downstream operations and will soon enter retailing. In recent years, the Indian govt has been auctioning several blocks along the coast and on land for oil exploration and drilling. ONGC, as an autonomous govt. entity, tends to bag the most promising blocks (in a large country whose oilfield potential is still largely untapped). As a result, it is amongst the most valued companies in India, contributing heavily to the exchequer and regularly featuring in Forbes Fortune 500 list.

Fun Fact: Again like the SBI coin, the CU-NI version wasn't widely circulated although available with dealers at a high premium

Official Website : http://www.ongcindia.com
Fundinguniverse.com : http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/OIL-AND-NATURAL-GAS-COMMISSION-Company-History.html
Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_and_Natural_Gas_Corporation

Bombay High

LALBAHADUR SHASTRI BIRTH CENTENARY 1904-2004 (Rs5 CuNi, Rs 100 in sets | Rs5 FSS)

- Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan (Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer)

After listening to Gandhi’s speech at a rally in 1915, Shastri joined the independence struggle, participating in various movements launched by the Congress. He even dropped his last name “Srivastava” in keeping with Gandhi’s call for a casteless society and joined the "Servants of the People Society" that worked for the upliftment of Harijans at Muzaffarpur. He spent a total of nine years in jail, during which time he lost a daughter.
Following India's independence, Shastri served in various ministries in UP and at the Centre. As UP’s Transport Minister, he was the first to appoint women conductors. As Minister of internal security, he ordered that police use water jets instead of lathis to disperse unruly crowds. He famously resigned his post as Central Minister of Railways in 1956 taking moral responsibility following an accident, a precedent that earned him respect from colleagues and voters alike. Following Nehru’s death in 1964, Shashtri emerged as a consensus choice for Prime Minister. In his short tenure, his policies laid the foundations of the Green revolution as well as the white revolution (through the formation of The National Dairy Development Board in 1965).
However, tensions with Pakistan over the Kutch Peninsula and in J&K resulted in all out war in 1965. Shastri proved to be a decisive leader, ensuring that although India was in a vulnerable state (following the 1962 Sino-India war and chronic shortages), she did not loose any territory and even brought pressure to bear on Pakistan (by laying siege to Lahore). Russian-mediated peace talks with Pakistan’s General Ayub Khan in Tashkent (in present day Uzbekistan) preserved the status quo and brought an end to the 22-day war. Shastri died the same night that the declaration was signed; allegedly from a heart attack (though many believed he was poisoned). He is the only PM to have died oversees while in office.
Shastri was posthumously conferred with the Bharat Ratna. He is remembered as a true Gandhian; a person of very high integrity and moral standing. His humility and steadfast belief that politicians are servants of the community stand in stark contrast to what we see today.

Fun Fact: The CU-NI variety differs from the FSS version in the size of the legend along the portrait of Shastri

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lal_Bahadur_Shastri



With Pak Pres. Gen Ayub Khan at Tashkent

75 YEARS OF DANDI MARCH 1930-2005 (Rs5 CuNi, Rs100 in sets | Rs5 FSS)

- "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire."

Although salt was freely available along India’s coasts (from evaporating seawater) and a prime ingredient in all Indian cuisine, people were prohibited from manufacturing/ refining it on their own unless they paid a tax, or were forced to buy it from govt. licensed companies (which were mostly British-owned). Gandhi chose to highlight this discrimination (despite opposition from other Congress leaders) as the law particularly affected the poor who spend mostly on basic food items. Recruiting inmates from his Sabarmati ashram (in the interior of present-day Gujarat) who were rigorously trained in the Satyagraha philosophy and who would not react to police brutality, Gandhi set off for the coast, to Dandi Village. Along the 390km march, activists, villagers & city dwellers alike joined in, eventually reaching thousands by the time they reached the coast. At the beach shore, Gandhi picked up some muddy salt and began to wash & boil it, officially breaking the Salt Act 1882 and encouraging citizens across the country to do the same. The govt. resorted to lathi charges and arrested around 80,000 people by the month-end. What had begun as a Salt Satyagraha quickly grew into a mass Satyagraha - British cloth and goods were boycotted/ burnt, unpopular forest laws were defied in Bombay Presidency and the Central Provinces etc. The British responded with more laws, including censorship of correspondence and declaring the Congress and its associate organizations illegal. While the Salt March did not result in any concessions from the British govt., it did garner world sympathy and news coverage and was emulated elsewhere in the world in later years…particularly Martin Luther King’s million man march in the 1960’s against racial segregation.

On a side note, I thought this should be highlighted too. We only think of the NWFP as a lawless area: In Peshawar, satyagraha was led by a Muslim Pashto disciple of Gandhi, Ghaffar Khan, who had trained a 50,000 member army of nonviolent activists called Khudai Khidmatgar. On April 23, 1930, Ghaffar Khan was arrested. A crowd of Khudai Khidmatgar gathered in Peshawar's Kissa Khani (Storytellers) Bazaar. The British ordered troops to open fire with machine guns on the unarmed crowd, killing an estimated 200-250. The Pashtun satyagrahis acted in accord with their training in nonviolence, willingly facing bullets as the troops fired on them. One British Indian Army regiment, troops of the renowned Royal Garhwal Rifles, refused to fire at the crowds. The entire platoon was arrested and many received heavy penalties, including life imprisonment

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandi_March
More on Satyagraha : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyagraha

Bending down to defy an Empire


The future Leads the Leader


With Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi)

150 YEARS FIRST WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 1857-2007 (Rs5 CuNi, Rs100 in sets | Rs5 FSS)

Also referred to as the Great Rebellion, the Indian Mutiny, the Revolt of 1857, the Uprising of 1857, the Sepoy Rebellion/Mutiny etc, this chapter of British rule in India is perhaps one of the most complex to summarise and politically controversial. While various historical accounts point to numerous incidents between the East India Company and various Indian factions (i.e. the Sepoys, Indian princes etc) in the run-up to the uprising, most accept that the (supposed) use to pork/beef tallow in the new company rifles acted as the trigger to the war/ mutiny.
In the initial stages, native Indian soldiers mutinied in various areas of mostly North and Central India and organised themselves into armies to fight Company forces, capturing many areas and fortifications. Some Indian princes joined in the fight to reclaim lost kingdoms while others treated this as an opportunity to settle old scores. Accounts of the Rani of Jhansi (in present-day Madhya Pradesh) and the courage she exhibited are particularly popular. As fighting spread, the Sepoys declared Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor, as their King and Emperor of India in Delhi. Fighting continued over the next few months until Company forces began to recapture territory and finally suppressed the rebellion. By the end of it, thousands were dead (overwhelmingly Indian) with incidents of extreme brutality committed by both sides.
Debating is still vigorous as to whether the events of 1857 can be classified as a genuine war of Independence or as a mere revolt. Proponents of the mutiny version outline that fighting was only in limited areas of the subcontinent with some Indian princes fighting to simply reclaim their thrones even as others supported the British. Moreover, the Sepoys are simply seen as venting their frustration against their perceived humiliating treatment. However, other scholarly works deem the revolts as a fight to evict Europeans from India (as it was perceived at the time). The fact that Bahadur Shah Zafar was proclaimed Emperor of India is used as a pointer towards this argument. The Sepoys did not seem to owe allegiance to their local leaders or seek to fight at a purely local level. While most historical studies are currently based on accounts of British and European soldiers/ civilians, studies in India have begun to shed light on local accounts as well which are re-shaping scholarly works on what happened and the sentiments in 1857.
As a result of 1857, governance of India was transferred from the EIC to the British government, with Queen Victoria proclaimed as Empress of India in 1877. While the bureaucracy of the EIC was largely maintained, the British allowed Indians to join the civil services (albeit at the lowest levels), established universities etc eventually creating a middle-class that would assist them in governing, carrying on business and laying the foundations of modern institutions in India.
Many Indian leaders such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy (Father of Indian Democracy) and various Congress party members often cited the events of 1857 as the seeds of nationalism. However, the chaos and blood-shed that ensued, pushed them to believe that war would not be enough to remove the British and that only democracy and peaceful protest and movements would lead to true Independence.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1857_War_of_Independence
Rani of Jhansi : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rani_of_Jhansi
Bahadur Shah Zafar : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahadur_Shah_Zafar



Bahadur Shah Zafar


Rani Laxmi of Jhansi

MAHATMA BASAVESHWARA (2006) (Rs5 CuNi, Rs100 in sets | Rs5 FSS)

Basava, also referred to reverently as Basavanna or Basaveshwara, was a twelfth century devotee of Shiva and early organizer of the (monotheistic) Virasaiva Lingayata sect in the Kannada-speaking regions of southern India (present day Karnataka).
The Virasaivas were a Shiva bhakti (devotee) movement that rejected elaborate ritualism and the strict caste system of orthodox Hinduism, instead emphasizing a more direct mystical experience with God. In this sense, the Virasaiva movement was a mystical protestant movement that asserted social equality and justice for the poor. As Lingayatas, they worshipped the linga, the stone symbol that represents Shiva as Progenitor of the universe and, more deeply, as a representation of the Formless taking form.
Basavanna was orphaned at a young age but adopted by a wealthy Brahmin family with political connections. He received a good education but rejected a life of comfort and prestige to become a wandering ascetic dedicated to Shiva. While on his spiritual quest, he received enlightenment at the sacred confluence of the Krishna & Malaprabha rivers. This is why all of Basavanna's poems refer to Shiva as "Lord of the meeting rivers."
He believed God directed him to return to society inorder to improve it and before long, became Prime Minister under King Bijjala a feudatory of the Kalyani Chalukya Kingdom. He used his influence to form the Anubhav Mantapa; organising the Virasaivas into a coherent, egalitarian community. This community fostered many other great poet-saints, including Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu. However, the Anubhav Mantapa was seen as a threat to the orthodoxy, which used the marriage between an untouchable-caste man and a brahmin woman that was blessed by Basaweshwara as an excuse to kill several Virasaivas. Basavanna urged a non-violent response, but in vain. In the tense aftermath, the Anubhav Mantapa lost its coherence and its members went in different directions. Basavanna left politics and once again returned to his focus on inner spiritual life.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basaveshwara
Basaweshwara's Poems : http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/B/Basava/#PoemList

Basaweshwara Poem

Basaweshwara Samadhi (Cremation memorial) Bagalkot

XIX COMMONWEALTH GAMES DELHI 2010 (Rs2, Rs5, Rs100)

Delhi held the 19th Commonwealth games in October 2010. The event was first held in 1930 under the title of the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The event was renamed as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth Games in 1970, and gained its current title in 1978. I won't write much about this event as it does not much relate to Indian history or its long term impact on society in general. I would encourage you though to read more about it from Wikipedia and other sources.
The coins were released amid great controversy surrounding the Delhi Govt.'s (lack of) preparations ahead of the games and the graft allegations that ensued. Reports ranged from the embarassing such as extremely filthy living conditions at the Games Village to more serious issues such as the inferior-quality materials that resulted in a collapsed pedestrian bridge and sub-standard measuring equipment for various sports. Suresh Kalmadi, head of the Indian Olympic committe, who oversaw the games preparation had long been accused of ineptitude, favouritism and corruption. He is currently in jail facing criminal investigation along with other members of the IOC. Eventually, the games went off on schedule and without further major incidences. India won 101 medals (Gold 38; Silver 27 & Bronze 36). On another note, notice how Shera, the Tiger Mascot of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, seemingly transformed from a slight-build to a very athletic one!

If anyone has something interesting to add on how the commonwealth games impacted India specifically, Please PM me and I will add it in here

Fun Fact : The official Logo of the Games has a "TM" or "C", however this has simply been replaced with a dot on the coin

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Games_2010
More about the Commonwealth Games : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_games



Suresh Kalmadi - ex Indian Olympic Head (but very much still a crook)


Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, J. Nehru Stadium

COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE 1991 (Re1, Rs5, Rs10) / 60 YEARS OF THE COMMONWEALTH 2009 (Rs5, Rs100)

The Commonwealth of Nations, formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of 53 independent member states. All but two (Mozambique and Rwanda) of these countries were formerly part of the British Empire, out of which it developed. The member states cooperate within a framework of common values and goals such as the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance etc. Its activities are carried out through the permanent Commonwealth Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, and biennial meetings between Commonwealth Heads of Government. The Head of the Commonwealth, a ceremonial position, is the reigning Monarch of the UK. I won't write more on this as the Commonwealth in practice is merely another multilateral forum that India is member to without much impact (unlike other organisations such as the UN, IMF, WTO etc). You can read more from Wikipedia and other sources for further information on the Commonwealth.

If anyone has something interesting to add on how the Commonwealth impacted India specifically, Please PM me and I will add it in here

Funfact : This is the first time that the design motif of any commemorative coin of Independent India has been recycled (i.e. from the Commonwealth Parliamentary conference 1991 coins).

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations

Commonwealth Flag

Thanks for this! Lot of interesting information.

JAGATH GURU SRI NARAYANA GURUDEV (2006) (Rs5 CuNi, Rs100 in sets | Rs5 FSS)

Sri Narayana Guru (1845-1928) was a famous socio-religious re­former from Kerala. He was born into the Ezhavas clan who formed a large sections of the untouchables-caste in Kerala. He opposed the domination of the brahminic class and worked to secure temple entry rights to the depressed castes as well. In 1888, he started the Aravippuram Move­ment with the installation of a Siva idol at Aravippuram thereby defying brahminical laws. On the wall of the Siva Temple, he inscribed the following words: "Devoid of the dividing walls of caste, of race, or hatred of rival faith, we all live here in brotherhood." In 1902-1903, he launched the Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (the SNDPY) which took up the cause of social equality. The SNDPY had a great impact in Kerala and helped in the emancipation of the lower castes. The movement strives for
(i) right of admission to public schools;
(ii) recruitment to government employment;
(iii) access to roads and entry to temples; and
(iv) political representation for the depressed castes.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Narayana_Guru
A Short Bio by Prof J. Indira & R. Srinivasan : http://guruforum.webs.com/narayanaguru.pdf

Narayan Gurudev Samadhi, Sivagiri

INCOME TAX 150 YEARS OF BUILDING INDIA 1860-2010 (Rs5, Rs150)

- “..... Ideally, governments should collect taxes like a honeybee, which sucks just the right amount of honey from the flower so that both can survive...”

Taxation in India has existed in various forms with the first codified laws i.e. Manusmriti and Arthashastra written more than 2000 years ago. Modern history of Indian Income tax, however, traces it's roots to the Act of 1860. Facing an acute financial crises following the events of 1857, the East India Company introduced taxation on landed property, profession & trade, securities & annuities and on salaries & pensions based on the prevailing British system. The act has since been amended over time, reflecting the changing goals of govt and society, with the current laws based on the Act of 1961. The Licence Raj and the socialist tendencies of the govt during the 1960s and 70s saw personal income tax rates hovering between 25% and 93% depending on one's income bracket, while customs and excise stood at similarly exhorbitant rates (in line with the govt's goal of self-sufficiency and discouragement of imports).
However, with liberalisation in 1991, tax rates have since eased (the highest rate is ~30%) and are reasonably on par with most countries. The govt. plans to introduce a new direct tax code that aims to simplify tax calculation and further reduce rates. Similarly the govt has also gradually shifted to an ad valorem system of indirect taxes (VAT) with the adoption of the General Sales Tax (GST). However, since this is a state matter, only a few states have done away with their respective local taxes so far. Moreover, the tax base in India is very small (currently ~20 million or 2% of the population) as anyone who earns less than Rs1,00,000 is exempted while farmers are not taxed at all.
The black money economy (estimated to be as large as the official GDP) poses a unique challenge as it thrives on corrupt officers and affluent people who circumvent the sytem (a habit, many attribute to be borne out of the licence raj era). The tax authorities introduce a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme occasionally, with the last VDS in 1997 netting more than Rs7000 crore (on a disclosed Rs25000 crore). However, in recent months, social campaigns have put pressure on the govt to treat this issue more seriously.

A little on Chanakya : Chanakya (c. 370–283 BCE) was an adviser of the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta and chief architect of his rise to power. He was also known as Kautilya and Vishnugupta, his noms de plume for his most famous work, the Arthashastra (that dealt with politics, state economics & welfare, monetary & Fiscal policies etc) and the Neetishashtra (that dealth with various aspects governing daily life) that still find echos in various brahminical traditions. Born in Pataliputra (modern day Patna, Bihar), Chanakya later went on to become a teacher in Taxila (in present day Pakistan). His works were lost near the end of the Gupta dynasty only to be rediscovered in 1915.

Fun Fact: A unique motif that marks a departure from previous tradition (wherein the IT dept logo or a closely related symbol would have featured), designers have dug deep into Indian history and culture to issue this coin with a philosophical approach... although many would not readily associate Chanakya, a honey bee and a lotus flower with Income Tax collection. I would assume the lotus was specifically chosen as it is the national flower. However, if anyone has concrete information on the design selection process, please let me know

Official website of the IT dept : http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/home.asp
How to file IT Returns in India : http://india.gov.in/citizen/income-tax.php
Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_India
Chanakya : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanakya

IT Advert

50 YEARS KHADI AND VILLAGE INDUSTRIES COMMISSION 2007 (Rs5 CuNi, Rs50 in sets | Rs5 FSS)

The KVIC was set up by the Act of 1956 and is supervised by the Ministry for Small & Medium Enterprises with the objective of creating rural employment and economic development based on the creation of sellable local handicrafts and other products. Headquartered in Bombay, the KVIC disburses funds and expertise through various programmes such as the Prime Ministers Employment Generation Program and the Interest Subsidy scheme. The KVIC is a direct legacy of the Independence movement; in 1920, Mahatma Gandhi encouraged people to shun British-made cloth, and instead, adopt indegenious home-spun Khadi (made of cotton, wool or silk) as a symbol of unlocking the shackles of colonialism. Gandhi would devote a couple hours everyday spinning khadi along with thousands of his followers (a form of silent protest rallies). Besides, Gandhi was a vociferous advocate of economic development at the village level (as opposed to Nehru's vision of large scale industrial development). In a country where ~65% of 1.2 billion citizens live in more than 500,000 villages, the KVIC has had mixed results, but has also helped lift millions out of absolute poverty at the village and small town level. In recent years, various govts. have consistently laid more emphasis on economic activity at the village level; in part to address the lop-sided national development, and to partially hold back increasing migration flows to various cities.

Fun Fact: Some Rs5 FSS coins (circulation variety) bear the "M" Mintmark which is usually exclusively used by the Mumbai Mint to indicate Proof coins. There are also error coins written as "VIIIAGE" rather than "VILLAGE" and the Nagari scrip as "AURAY" instead of "AUR"

Official website : http://www.kvic.org.in/
Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KVIC

150 YEARS OF INDIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS 2004 (Rs2, Rs100)

Telecom services in India date back to 1854 when the East India Company opened a Telegraph section in The Public Works Dept, Calcutta for it's exclusive use. Although under govt. monopoly, The Oriental Telephone Company was allowed to set up exchanges across various Indian cities in 1881, following which telecom services were opened to the Indian public.
The Indian telecoms industry grew at an abysmal rate during the British Raj (where fixed lines stood at c. 80,000) and even until as late as 1991 (a little more than 5 million connections) as telephones were seen more as status symbols that utility products; the average citizen could expect to wait for months or even years to get a landline connection post-application. However, since then, the govt. has followed a liberalised privatisation policy that saw the rise of major private Indian telco companies such as Bharti-Airtel, Aircel, Idea, Loop etc. Since 2000, the govt relaxed Foreign Direct Investment norms allowing international players such as Vodaphone and Telenor to enter the thriving Indian market. Since early 2011, consumers can change their service providers without losing their number under the Number Portability scheme.
Today, India possesses the second largest mobile market, with over 800 mn mobile phone users (teledensity ~73%; both GSM & CDMA), adding 15 mn customers every month and projected to grow to 1.2 billion subscribers by 2013. Moreover, Indian subscribers pay amongst the lowest call/sms rates globally; charges can be as low as 1/2paisa per second. The sector provides employment to more than 10mn people (directly and indirectly) and contributes more than $75 bn to the economy and is expected to grow exponentially with recently launched 3G broadband services. The sector has revolutionised various aspects of Indian life bringing a large and diverse India closer together.
However, the recent scandal on the allocation of 2nd generation telecom spectrum a few years ago has rocked the current UPA govt with allegations of losses of $39bn to the exchequer. Shaky investigations are currently underway to expose a politician-business nexus where spectrum was opaquely sold at throwaway prices. Many prominent politicos (such as ex telecom minister A Raja) and businessmen are currently in jail pending court hearings. The 2G scandal along with the Commonwealth games fiasco, have seemingly opened a pandora's box of sordid corruption stories...but have also spawned the current civil campaign against corruption and Black money.

Fun Fact : The Rs.2 coin has not been reported in circulation. If anyone can shed light on the Pigeon mascot depicted on the coin, please let me know

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_telecom

(http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/384861_10150474068005943_536160942_10832921_1129236892_n.jpg)

Practically Everyone has a Phone!


A Raja - ex Telecoms Minister (lifelong Crook!)

UNITY IN DIVERSITY SET (Re1,Rs2,Rs5,Rs10)

Famously (or rather infamously) also referred to as the "Cross coins", these are perhaps among the most controversial coins ever issued in independent India's history. As a standard practice, the govt. usually changes the look of the standard coinage every 12 years or so (the last update occurred in 1992). The aim of the changeover in 2004 was to give an "international" feel to the coins in keeping with India's rising prominence on the International stage. The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad was roped in to overhaul various tactile features of the coins while coming up with a design that would represent "The Idea of India". A circulation Rs10 coin would also be introduced after a gap of nearly 40years. The theme chosen was "Unity in Diversity". The reverse motif is supposed to represent four (abstract) people coming together with outstretched hands from the four corners of India (the dots should be seen as the head of each person). The Ashoka lion which normally stands over the numeral was reduced in size and placed to the left of the denomination. The coins would be made of Ferritic steel, except the Rs10 coin which would be bimetallic (Al-br & Nickle)
Controversy erupted almost immediately when the first Rs2 coins entered into circulation in 2006-2007. Certain right-wing Hindu groups complained that the coins represented a conspiracy to spread Christianity in India as the reverse motif looked (eerily) similar to coins issued by Louis the Pious a millenium ago. Politicians soon entered the fray, accusing Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of the UPA govt. (who is nominally catholic) of using coins to spread catholism in India (in league with the Vatican). The coin design was quickly discontinued to prevent further political fallout, although millions of Rs2 coins have already found their way into people's everyday pocket change. The Rs10 and Re1 coin are very rarely found in circulation. The Rs5 coin has never been reported to circulate, although dealers do sell them. The 50 paise coin was never finally release. Coin collectors and ordinary citizens alike have generally panned the coin design for it's "lack of imagination" and "un-attractiveness".

Fun Fact:
- The Rs10 coin, although technically the first bimetallic coin produced in modern India, was released well after the Rs10 Gur-ta-gaddi coin.
- Some Rs10, Rs2 and Re1 coins dated 2005 have a rotated die error.
- Rs2 coins dated 2006 and 2007 bear a wide/narrow "6" and "7". Similarly, the mintmark's distance from the rim and date may differ in certain coins
-Rs5 did not circulate, however they are readily available with dealers at a premium

Denier Louis Le Pieux


Proto-Types

MUDRA SET (50p,Re1,Rs2)

The third theme to be released as standard circulation coinage in quick succession after the "Unity in Diversity" and "Information Technology" coins, the Nritya Mudra (i.e. Dance Mudra) coins are meant to showcase the country's cultural and artistic heritage. A Mudra is a symbolic spiritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism that involves the entire body, but is most often performed with the hands and fingers. It constitutes a basic component in classical dance forms such as Bharatnatyam, odissi and Kathakali as well as in various yogic exercises. Simply referred to by many collectors as "hand coins" or "finger coins", the coins infact specifically depict Asamyukta hastas i.e Single hand gestures; the Rs2 coin depicts Kartarimukha, Re 1 depicts Shikara, while the 50p shows Musti. Each mudra has several meanings depending on the context used.
Although plans were afoot to introduce five different denominations, only the Rs2, Re1 and 50p have actually found their way into circulation. The Rs5 and Rs10 were never issued. The 50p coin is much rarer to find due to (presumably) lower mintage and general public apathy towards 25paise and 50paise coins

Fun Fact:
- Die Rotated Errors exist.
- The distance between the rim and the mint mark commonly differs.
- Mules have also been reported. Eg The reverse of the Rs10 IT coin has been used on the Rs2 Mudra coin. Similarly, reverse die of the Rs5 IT coin has been used on the 50p Mudra coin

Wikipedia.org on Mudras: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudra
Meaning of each Mudra: http://mudrasofindia.blogspot.com/



Proto Types

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SET (Rs5, Rs10)

The second set to be released after the Unity in Diversity set, these coins were meant to showcase India's ongoing economic transformation from largely agrarian to one that is more broad-based and technologically advanced. The services sector today accounts for over 50% of GDP within which the IT sector (including IT-enabled businesses in Banking, consulting, outsourcing etc) contributes the lion's share of revenue. The IT sector alone contributes over $76bn to the national economy, directly employing more than 2.5mn people and millions more through indirect employment (in housekeeping, security, transportation, building and IT park maintenance etc). Bangalore (India's equivalent of Silicon Valley) and Hyderabad (popularly dubbed Cyberabad) lead India's IT revolution along with other major centres in Bombay, Gurgaon, Calcutta and smaller cities such as Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh etc. Today, companies such as Infosys, Wipro and TCS are giants in this sector often directly and sucessfully competing against established western names such as IBM, Accenture & Capgemini.
India has for long had the distinction of churning out large numbers of engineers; in the 60's India was just behind the US & USSR while today in this respect it competes only with China. Since 1950, India has set up seven premier (and ultra-competitive) Indian Institutes of techology (IIT) that graduate amongst the best IT professionals anywhere in the world. As a result of the international nature of the IT business process, India has cultivated deep commercial ties with the US and Europe thanks to the flow of capital as well as manpower, becoming more integrated with the global economy and often fostering better cultural ties. Thanks to the IT sector, various govt. and public services have become more accessible as a result of awareness created by the internet and automated systems that cut out corrupt middlemen. From electronic voting machines to online easy tax-submission forms, the IT sector (in conjunction with the telecom sector) continues to make long-lasting impacts on Indian society.

Fun fact :
- Only the Rs10 (scarce) and Rs5 (common) coins are known to circulate. The other coins were never issued.
- I assume that the Rs5 "waves" design indicates free flow of Information while the Rs10 "rays" design indicates information spreading in all directions. However, if anyone has more concrete information, please do let me know.
- Nickle & FSS Rs10 have been reported.
- Mules exist of Rs10 and Rs5 (as earlier mentioned in Nritya Mudra Set)

Wikipedia.org on Indian IT Sector : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology_in_India
India's 35$ PC Tablet : http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/28/india-tablet-computer-stalled-revolution

$35 Tablet


Proto Designs

150 GLORIOUS YEARS INDIAN RAILWAYS 2003 (Rs2, Rs100)

The Indian Railways, which has a state monopoly on rail transport in India, ranks as the 4th largest globally with more than 63,000km of laid tracks that carry more than 16mn passengers & 1mn tonnes of freight daily. It also ranks amongst the world's largest utility companies by head-count employing more than 1.6mn people. Indian Railways operates both long distance and suburban rail systems.
Plans were afoot to build a rail system in India since 1832, but did not materialise until 1851, when a train was used to haul construction material in a localised-area of Roorkee. However, on 16 April 1853, the first passenger train service was inaugurated between Bori Bunder, Bombay & Thane that covered a distance of 34 km and heralded the formal birth of railways in India. Thereafter, the govt. embarked on a massive expansion drive, backed by private British companies & investors and primarily concentrated towards connecting the three major port cities i.e. Bombay, Calcutta & Madras. Soon various princely states built their own rail systems and the network spread to most regions of modern India. By 1895, India had started building its own locomotives, and in 1896 sent engineers and locomotives to help build the Uganda Railway.
The railways raked in profits until the first World War when resources were diverted to the British war effort outside India. The government took over direct Railway management and segregated it's financing from other governmental entities in 1920, a practice that continues to date with a separate railway budget. WWII severely crippled the railways as trains were diverted to the Middle East, and the railway workshops were converted into munitions factories. At the time of independence, a large portion of the railways went to newly formed Pakistan. In 1948, 42 separate railway systems, including 32 lines owned by the former princely states, were amalgamated as a single unit and christened as the Indian Railways. These were re-organised into six zones in 1952.
By 1985, steam locomotives were phased out in favour of diesel and electric locomotives. The entire railway reservation system was computerised in 1995. Over the last decade, the Railways has made huge investments to modernise the network with the twin objectives of minimising accidents and providing better services while keeping fares low/reasonable. It has undertaken ambitious projects such as the completion of the Konkan Railway which snakes along the western ghats, building of the J&K link that traverses icy mountains and deep valleys, a dedicated highspeed freight corridor (with Japanese investment) to connect all major metros etc.

~ redacted from http://indiahotelreviews.blogspot.com/2007/12/history-of-indian-railways.html

Funfact : First time that a caricature/cartoon-like motif (i.e. Bholu, the Railways Mascot) has been featured on an Indian coin.

Official website: www.indianrailways.gov.in
Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Railways
Immortalised in Bollywood - Chaiya Chaiya: https://youtu.be/qeDty5prTQM

1st Train Thane-VT


Victoria Terminus

RUPEE SYMBOL SET (50p, Re1, Rs2, Rs5, Rs10)

Following it's haph-hazard approach in issuing newly-designed standard circulation coins between 2005 and 2010 (i.e. National Unity, IT & Nritya Mudra), the govt. has made yet another attempt to correct it's previous misteps while trying to give an international look to India's coinage as well as popularising the new currency symbol among the masses. Each coin in the new set will bear the recently introduced Rupee Symbol (except the 50paise coin). In order to retain tactile consistency among the coins, the Rupee Symbol has been placed above the numeral with two lotus plants flanking the denomination on either side. However, the Rs10 coin has retained the IT coin design, albeit with fewer "Rays" or "Leaves". The Ashoka Lion will grace the Reverse side. The Rs10 and Rs5 coins have retained their previous dimensions, while the Rs2, Re1 and 50p have been reduced in size and weight. The coins are expected to enter circulation from July-August 2011.

New Rupee Symbol : In March 2009, the Union Government announced an open competition to select a symbol for the Indian Rupee that would set it apart from other rupees (and other similar currencies like Rupaiyah, Rufiya etc) with the aim of reflecting India's rising prominence on the global stage. Five designs were short-listed and ultimately on 15 July 2010, at the Union Council of Ministers meeting, the design submitted by Uday Kumar (an assistant professor at IIT Guwahati) was declared the winner. The Rupee symbol is an amalgamation of the Latin alphabet "R" and devnagiri "र". Two parallel horizontal lines run across the top of the symbol consistent with other international currency symbols and according to the designer, indicates the tricolour as well as the equality sign (i.e alluding to India's constant effort to uplift all her peoples). The unveiling of the symbol has been mostly welcomed for it's relative simplicity and easy identifiability among foreigners & Indians alike. However, a PIL has been filed in Delhi High Court by one of the participants of the Rupee Symbol Contest who alleged that the selection process was flawed and that political connections decided the final outcome (Uday Kumar happens to be the son of a DMK party leader). Since it's unveiling the Rupee Symbol has steadily replaced the "Rs." on product packagings, in advertisements, in newspaper articles etc. The Symbol will also grace the new banknotes. Currently the symbol has been set in Unicode as U+20B9. It will soon be available at ALT GR + 4.

Fun Fact : Oddly enough, although this is a new set, the govt. has decided to re-use the 1992 design of the Rs5 coin for the entire set. Can anyone tell me why the Rs10 IT design has been retained ?

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_rupee_sign
WSJ interview with Uday Kumar: http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/07/23/meet-the-man-behind-the-rupee-symbol/
Download Foradian Font for Rupee symbol: http://blog.foradian.com/font-with-indian-rupee-symbol-download-and-us

Uday Kumar


Competition Final Entries

2600TH JANM KALNAYAK OF BHAGWAN MAHAVIR (2001) (Rs5, Rs100)

Born as Prince Vardhaman in Kungalagrama, present day Bihar, Mahavir (meaning "Great Hero") became Jainism's 24th Tirthankar (i.e. the most ideal embodiement of Jain philosophy). His birth was considered auspicious and coincided with increasing prosperity in the Kingdom. Even as a child, Vardhaman engaged in meditation and immersed himself in self-contemplation. At 30yrs old, Mahavir renounced his Kingdom and family, giving up all worldly possessions, including his clothes, to become a wandering ascetic for the remainder of his life. He exhibited exemplary control over his senses while enduring penance during these years, travelling across India and preaching the basic tenets of jain belief. Mahavir taught that men and women are spiritual equals and that both may renounce the world in search of moksha or ultimate happiness. He attracted people from all walks of life, and organized his followers into a fourfold order; monk (Sadhu), nun (Sadhvi), layman (Shravak), and laywoman (Shravika). Mahavira's teachings were preserved orally by his immediate disciples known as Ganadharas in the Agam Sutras. Through time, many Agam Sutras have been lost, destroyed, or modified. Later on, the Agam Sutras were recorded on Tadpatris (palm leaf paper). Swetambar Jains accept these sutras as authentic teachings while Digambar Jains use them as a reference.

A little bit on Jainism & the community : Jainism prescribes absolute pacifism & non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasizes self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness & liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved a state of supreme being is called Jina (Conqueror or Victor) or Arihant. Only a few souls that reach Arihant status become Thirthankars. Jains follow the teachings of 24 Tirthankars (i.e. those who have shown the way to salvation from the cycles of births and deaths). Apart from Thirthankars, Jains worship special Arihants such as Bahubali (also known as Gommateshvara) who was the second of one hundred sons of the first Tirthankara.
Numbering around 10mn worldwide, the Jain community & it's philosopy has profoundly influenced various aspects of Indian civilization. Today it is one of the most wealthiest and educated communities in modern India. It's adherents are identifiable though their unique and richly decorated temples, eating habits (strict vegetarians), business practices, literature, animal rights activism etc. The community is divided into four basic sects i.e Digambars & three types of Shvetambars based on conservatism & rigidity of interpretation apart from certain other minor factors; yet the basic tenets are all universally accepted.

Fun Fact: First coin in Modern India to commemorate Jainism/ Jain Icons

For any of our Jain members, please PM me if there is anything in the above that needs correction.

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahavir
On Jainism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jain

Gomateshwara bathed, Shravanbelagola


Mahavir Accepting Alms


Ranakpur Jain Temple

MAHARANA PRATAP (1540-1597) 2003 (Rs1, Rs10, Rs100) / MAHARANA PRATAP 475TH ANNIVERSARY 2015 (Rs10, Rs100)

As the eldest son of Maharana Udai Singh II, Maharana Pratap Singh ascended the throne in 1568 (even though his father wished another son to become King). Born in 1540, at a time when the Mughal dynasty had expanded it's suzerainity over most of the subcontinent (and even into Afghanistan, Tibet & Burma), Maharana Pratap Singh, unlike other Rajput Kings, refused to enter into an alliance with the Mughals under which Emperor Akbar would become the supreme Regent. The Mughals were forced to wage what would become a 30 year war with the Maharana once they realised that he would not accept their diplomatic overtures. Facing the Mughals, whose armies & allies vastly outnumbered his own, Maharana Pratap Singh not only managed to hold on to small pockets of influence, but towards the later years of his life, even re-captured most of his lost Kingdom (with exception to Chittorgarh Fort, the original capital of his Kingdom). Stories abound about the valour, generosity, forward thinking & humbleness of Maharana Pratap which are now part of legend and folklore, expecially among the Rajputs of Rajasthan. Not only was the Maharana regarded as a warrior, but also as a patron of the arts, architecture and literature which he actively encouraged even as he was on the battlefield. Special mention has been made about his loyal horse "Chetak", who as the story goes, sacrificed it's own life to protect the Maharana during the battle of Haldighati in 1576 by pulling the Maharana to safety even though it was critically wounded. However, in recent years, right-wing Hindu groups have tried to co-opt the Maharana as a symbol of the "Hindu fight against Muslims". But most Indians see Maharana Pratap Singh more comprehensively and in-depthly as a role model to emulate for his never-say-die attitude inspite of overwhelming adversity.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharana_Pratap

Chitorgarh Fort, Rajasthan

Udaipur Lakside Palace

Maharaja Arvind Singh Mewar, Current Regent

VEER DURGADAS (1638-1718) 2003 (Rs1, Rs10, Rs100)

Durgadas Rathore (born in 1638) was the son of Askrana Rathore, a general in the army of Marwari Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur (in present day Rajasthan). The story goes that the young Durgadas got into an argument with one of the Maharaja's official camel herders eventually killing him over the latters refusal to redirect the camel herd away from a field. Durgadas was summoned to the Maharaja's court explain himself. The Maharaja was impressed with Durgadas' plea that he was defending the Maharaja's honour as the camels were destroying the fields of ordinary peasants and rewarded Durgadas with an appoinment in the Royal Army.
Meanwhile, the Mughal empire was expanding and Maharaja Jaswant Singh entered into a subservient alliance with Emperor Aurangzeb. In 1679, the Maharaja died without any immediate male heir. However, two of his wives were pregnant. Hadi Rani eventually gave birth to Ajit Singh who would be proclaimed the new Maharaja. The Mughals opportunistically intervened, insisting that Ajit Singh would be raised in the Mughal household in Delhi to guarantee the infant king's safety. This was unacceptable to the Rajputs and in a daring but bloody rescue, Durgdas along with 300 men (only seven survived) spirited away Ajit Singh to Balunda on the fringes of the Marwar Kingdom.
The Mughals would continue to rule Marwar for the next 20 years. Durgadas and other former leaders of the Maharaja's army conducted a long standing guerilla war wherein they would raid trade & treasury convoys thus stifling the Mughal Empire's finances in the Marwari region. Following Emperor Aurangzeb's death in 1707, the Rajputs eventually evicted the occupying Mughal Force and coronated Ajit Singh as Maharaja of Jodhpur.
Durgadas has been lionised in Rajasthan as role model for his uprightness, valour and loyalty. Another story narrates his respect for all religions; one of Aurangzeb's sons, Sultan Muhammad Akbar rebelled against his father. Durgdas extended aid to him, however Akbar died in exile leaving his children in Durgadas' custody. Emperor Aurangzeb demanded that his grand-children be returned. Durgadas agreed. When the children arrived, Aurangzeb, worried that they would not know how to read the Quran, was astonished to hear one of his grand-daughters reciting ayats from the Holy Book. She explained that Durgdas had engaged a Qazi to take care of their religious training. Durgadas, having fulfilled his pledge to protect the Marwar Kingdom devoted himself to Mahakaal (a derivation of Lord Shiva), dying in 1718 in Ujjain.

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durgadas_Rathore

K KAMARAJ 1903-1975 (2003) (Rs5, Rs100)

"Face the problem. Don't evade it. Find a solution, however small. People will be satisfied if you do something."

Kumarasami Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975.
He was involved in the Indian independence movement and served time in prison for his activities during the Quit India Movement and the Salt Satyagraha. As a high ranking office bearer of the Indian National Congress and its President in 1963, he was instrumental in bringing to power two Prime Ministers, Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964 and Indira Gandhi in 1966. In Tamil Nadu, his home state, he is still remembered for bringing school education to millions of the rural poor by introducing free education and the free Mid-day Meal Scheme during his tenure as chief minister. He was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, posthumously in 1976.

Fun Fact: First coin to commemorate a former State Chief Minister of India
Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Kamaraj

DADABHAI NAOROJI 1825-1917 (2004) (Rs5)

The Grand Old Man of India

Even as a young man, Dadabhai was a path-breaker. At 25, he became the first native Indian professor of the Elphinstone College in Bombay. In 1855, as a partner of Cama & Co, he was instrumental in opening the first UK branch in Liverpool of an Indian company. Following that, he started teaching Gujarati at the University College London. In 1867 Naoroji helped establish the East India Association with the aim of putting across the Indian point of view before the British public. The Association was instrumental in counter-acting propaganda from the Ethnological Society of London which, in its session in 1866, had tried to prove the inferiority of Asians to Europeans. His activism eventually convinced the government to hold the Indian Civil Services Examinations in the UK and India simultaneously and permit Indian cadres. In 1874, he returned to India to become Prime Minister of the erstwhile Princely State of Baroda and then member of the Legislative Council of Bombay Presidency (1885–88). He was also a member of the Indian National Association founded by Sir Surendranath Banerjea from Calcutta a few years before the founding of the Indian National Congress in Bombay, with the same objectives and practices. Naoroji was elected President of the Congress in 1886. He went on to hold two more terms in 1893 and 1906. During his time in India, he published his paper "Poverty and Un-British Rule" in 1901 pointing out the drain of India's wealth to England under discriminatory tax and trade regulations at a time when the country was in dire need of industrialization and other economic reforms. Naoroji moved to Britain once again and continued his political involvement. Elected as a Liberal Party candidate from Finsbury Central constituency during the 1892 general election, he was the first non-white person to enter the British House of Commons as a member. In Parliament, he used his access to speak about Irish Home Rule and the plight of the Indian people. Having mentored future Freedom movement leaders including Gokhale, Jinnah and Gandhi, Naoroji breathed his last on 30 June 1917.

Please do let me know if you find anything factually inaccurate with this particular note. I had to navigate through a fair bit of conflicting information on certain aspects of his life.

Fun Fact: First Parsi (i.e. Zoarashtrian) to be commemorated on post-independence Indian Coins

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadabhai_Naoroji



Elphinstone College, Bombay

SANT TUKARAM 2002 (Rs2, Rs10, Rs50, Rs100)

Bhakti - Jagruti - Bhratruva (Devotion, Consciousness, Fraternity)

Sant Tukaram, colloquially referred to as "Tuka", was a 17th century Marathi Poet-Saint from Dehu near present-day Pune and a key proponent of the Bhakti movement as well as the Bhagawat tradition which began with Namdev. Tukaram, was a devotee of Lord Vitthal (a form of Lord Krishna), the supreme God in Vaishnavism. Typical of the Varkari community to which he belonged and is especially revered by, service to the community and group worship through music were Tukaram's methods to create a connection with God. Tukaram immersed himself deeply into spirituality through his kirtans i.e. discourses mixed with spiritual poetry, although his philosophy was firmly grounded in the reality of day-to-day existence. It was focused on the actual behaviour of a person and his inner mental peace. His teachings were simple and effective and as a result he acquired a significant following. He constantly emphasized that orthodox religion, like the study of the Vedas was just a formality; the real expression of religion was love and affection in one's daily activities. His teaching encompassed a wide array of issues and often touched upon the importance of nature and the ecosystem in our lives. Tukaram wrote in a special verse form called the abhanga, a run-on couplet with three and a half stanzas in which the first three stanzas would rhyme. The Mantra Gita, a translation of the Bhagavad Gita in the abhanga form is ascribed to Tukaram. It is an interpretation of the Gita from a Bhakti perspective. Another work ascribe to him is the Ghata, a collection of 4,500 abhangas. To this day, many of his poems find resonance particularly in Maharashtra and are even taught in the state's primary school syllabus.

If anyone would like to talk more about The Bhakti Movement or "Bhagawat Tradition" started by Namdev, please PM me your comments . I will add it in here accordingly

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant_Tukaram
Bhakti Movement : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhakti_movement

Abhanga

LOK NAYAK JAYA PRAKASH NARAYAN CENTENARY 2002 (Re1, Rs10, Rs100)

Conscience of the Nation

Narayan's early education at Patna College was disrupted by his participation in the non-co-operation movement of 1921. Although he enrolled briefly thereafter in a new nationalist institution, Bihar Vidyapith, he eventually completed his education in the United States, where he lived between 1922 and 1929 leading to a MA degree in sociology. News of his mother's illness brought him back to India and through his wife, whose father was a very important Bihar politician, and who herself was ensconced in Gandhi's ashram at Ahmadabad, Narayan soon found himself at the centre of nationalist politics and in personal contact with both Gandhi and Nehru. Although he came close to and worked with Nehru at first, he set himself apart as the leading exponent of a social and economic programme within the Indian National Congress that went beyond the mere demand for independence from British rule. In 1934 along with others, he formed the Congress Socialist Party to work within the Indian National Congress, seeking to influence the social and economic policies of the parent organization. Narayan participated actively in most of the major movements against British rule and was imprisoned in 1932, in 1940, and again in 1943, emerging from a Lahore jail only in April 1946. After Indian independence in 1947, Narayan and several of his colleagues in the Congress Socialist Party severed their ties with the parent body to form an opposition party eventually christened the Praja Socialist Party in 1953. In 1954 he announced his retirement from politics to join the Sarvodaya movement started by noted Gandhian Vinoba Bhave that emphasised voluntary land redistribution, communal land ownership, small-scale production, and self-sufficient, self-governing village communities. These shifts in his principal activities in Indian public life were all marked by major breaks in his political thought: from Marxism and sympathy with Soviet communism to disenchantment with the latter as well as with Indian communist practices and a shift to democratic socialism, followed by disenchantment with party politics and a shift to constructive social work and moral criticism of political authority and, finally, disillusionment with the pace and effectiveness of Sarvodaya and a call for total revolution in the moral, economic, and social bases of society through struggle, including mass movements when necessary. During his years of retirement from active politics J. P. sought nevertheless to influence government policy and public opinion through his prolific writings on contemporary political issues, domestic and international; through public speeches and exhortations to the country's political leaders; and by offering his services as an impartial negotiator. He was also active in organizing relief activities in times of disaster and catastrophe, such as during the 1966–67 Bihar famine.
However, Narayan's most dramatic contribution occurred between 1974 and 1977, when he emerged from political retirement to lead a growing movement against the authoritarian leadership of then PM Indira Gandhi and the increasing debasement of national politics as the Congress became increasingly corrupt and sycophantically dependent upon Mrs Gandhi, her family, and her political entourage. It was at this time that he gave his new call for a ‘total revolution’. He was detained along with most other opposition leaders and many thousands of activists during the two-year emergency imposed by Mrs Gandhi between 1975 and 1977. Despite ill-health as a result of confinement, he lived long enough to play a central role in forging opposition unity through the Janata Party which made it possible to defeat the congress in the 1977 parliamentary elections, thereby installing the first non-Congress government of India.

Redacted from http://www.paulbrass.com/biographies_of_indian_political_personalities__indira_gandhi__jayaprakash_naraya_48882.htm

Fun Fact: There were reports that the size of the portrait on coins bearing the Hyderabad mintmark is larger than the regular issues. Although debatable, I thought it should be mentioned in anycase.

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lok_Nayak_Jayaprakash

150 YEARS INDIA POST 2004 (Re1, Rs100)

The earliest reference to an official postal system in India was made in the 14th century by the Arab traveler and historian Ibn Battūtah, remarking upon the organized official service of mounted couriers and runners. The system was brought to its height during the 16th century under the great Mughal emperor Akbar, with a network of 2,000 miles of post roads. Two centuries of political turmoil, without a strong central authority, destroyed this courier system. It was not until 1766 that an official post was reestablished under the British East India Company. The system was reorganized and the service opened to the general public by Warren Hastings, the first governor general of Bengal with supervisory powers over Bombay and Madras in 1774. In 1837 the Imperial Post was established and granted a monopoly to provide efficient postal communications between the seat of government at Calcutta and the principal provincial towns. Within the provincial districts a complementary local service was maintained. As per the Post office Act 1854, the basis of the modern Indian Post Office was established when these parallel systems were merged under the first Director-General H P A B Riddle. A uniform postage rate was then introduced and adhesive stamps issued (though Sind was already using such stamps in 1852). International postal relations developed rapidly after the establishment of a weekly steamer service between Bombay and England in 1867, with India becoming a member of the UPU by 1876. At the same time, the post office began to expand the range of services provided to the public: COD in 1877, an insured service in 1878, and money orders in 1880. Internal communications were improved to keep pace with the progress made in these other fields. The “bullock train”—the Indian equivalent of the mail coach—gave way to the growing network of railways. A regular traveling post-office service was introduced in 1870. Although experiments with airmail conveyance started in 1911, a regular inland service did not begin until 1932. Rapid expansion followed in 1949. A complex night airmail network connects all major cities, carrying a growing percentage of the mail. Railways have retained much of the traffic as a result of speedier train services, although motor vehicles have become the dominant carrier of mail. More traditional forms of transport—the foot runner, horse, mule, camel, bullock cart, and bicycle—still help distribute mail to many of India’s villages. More than one-half of these now have daily delivery of letters, and almost all have at least weekly delivery.

Trivia
- India has the highest post office in the world in Hikkim, Himachal Pradesh at a height of 15,500 feet (postal code - 172114).
- The world's first official airmail flight took place in India, on 18 February 1911. It was a journey that spanned 18 kilometres and lasted 27 minutes. Henri Pequet, a French pilot, ferried around 15 kilos of mail (approximately 6,000 letters and cards) across the Ganga, from Allahabad to Naini. Included in the historic airmail was a letter to King George V of the United Kingdom.

Redacted from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/472092/postal-system/15438/India

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Postal_Service

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU DEATH 1964 (50p, Re1) / JAWAHARLAL NEHRU CENTENARY 1989 (Re1, Rs5, Rs20, Rs100) / JAWAHARLAL NEHRU 125TH ANNIVERSARY (Rs5, Rs125)

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity."

Early years in the Freedom Movement
Nehru was born in 1889 to a prominent wealthy Allahabad-based Kashmiri family. Under the tutelage of his father Motilal Nehru and after a few years of legal practice, Jawarharlal quickly took to the political movement that was spreading across India which demanded a greater say for native Indians in the British-Raj government. Although his close association with the Congress dated back to 1919, it wasn't until the Lahore plenary session in 1929 (that declared the intent for full independence) as the Congress President that Nehru gained prominence. Although Nehru often ideologically disagreed with Gandhi's stand on the British war effort in WWII and that of a de-centralized village-based economy besides a plethora of other issues, Nehru reposed his faith in Gandhi and led many of the revolutionary movements, serving eight stints in prison for an accumulated nine years from 1924 - 1945.

The first Provincial Assemblies and testing times of Partition
With the passing away of Motilal Nehru in 1931, Jawarharlal moved even closer to Gandhi and within a few years was recognized as the political heir-apparent of the Mahatma. The various Round-Table talks in London in 1931-32 between the British govt. and the Congress & Muslim League eventually lead to the Government of India Act 1935 which mandated the formation of provincial assemblies and a gradual autonomous federation of imperial provinces and princely states. The congress swept through most of the provincial assemblies and therefore declined to enter into coalition talks with the Muslim League. The Muslim League's poll debacle and its seeming irrelevance hardened the league's stand with the call for an independent homeland for the Muslims of India. Alleged personal animosity between Nehru and Jinnah did not help matters and Lord Wavell's final effort to reach a negotiated settlement for the unity of India failed with the League re-invigorating its call for an Independent Pakistan through Direct Action Day (which ignited horrendous riots across northern India).

India’s first Prime Minister and the Planned Economy
Nehru presided over the introduction of a modified, Indian version of state planning and control over the economy. Creating the Planning commission of India, Nehru drew up the first Five-Year Plan in 1951, which charted the government's investments in industries and agriculture. Increasing business and income taxes, Nehru envisaged a mixed economy in which the government would manage strategic industries such as mining, electricity and heavy industries, serving public interest and a check to private enterprise. Nehru pursued land redistribution and launched programs to build irrigation canals, dams and spread the use of fertilizers to increase agricultural production. He also pioneered a series of community development programs aimed at spreading diverse cottage industries and increasing efficiency into rural India. While encouraging the construction of large dams (which Nehru called the "new temples of India"), irrigation works and the generation of hydroelectricity, Nehru also launched India's program to harness nuclear energy. For most of Nehru's term as prime minister, India would continue to face serious food shortages despite progress and increases in agricultural production.

A shining foreign policy but for a grave mistake
Anti-colonialism and the Non-aligned Movement : One of the basic tenets of India’s foreign policy was to serve as a beacon to other suppressed peoples still struggling for their Independence, directly lending moral and political support to movements in Ghana, the Maghreb and elsewhere. Along with Abdul Gamal Nasser of Egypt and Marshall Tito of Yugoslavia, Nehru helped set up the Non-Align Movement, a group of nations which did not wish to firmly align themselves with either the US or the Soviets.
Securing India’s territorial Integrity : The partition of 1947 still left the fate of the then-princely state of Jammu & Kashmir in question. While initially reluctant, the Maharaja finally signed the instrument of accession in order to repel Pakistani guerilla fighters and army men from over-running the kingdom. With India having reclaimed 2/3rds of J&K, the UN resolutions in 1948 mandated that Pakistani fighters withdraw from the entire Kashmir region after which India would hold a plebiscite there to determine whether the state should join India or Pakistan. However, the Pakistani army never withdrew and the plebiscite was never held.
Serving an ultimatum after 500 years : In 1961, after years of failed talks with the Salazar regime in Portugal, Nehru finally decided to exercise the military option and physically evict the Portuguese from Goa, Daman & Diu. This was in stark contrast to the peaceful and amicable departure of the British in 1947 and the French in 1956 and while western capitals were harsh to India’s stand, this event earned Nehru even more accolades within India.
The Chinese Debacle : Although Pancha Sila (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence) was the basis of the 1954 Sino-Indian border treaty, in later years, Nehru's foreign policy suffered through increasing Chinese assertiveness over border disputes and Nehru's decision to grant political asylum to the 14th Dalai Lama. Nehru presumed his good equation with Mao Zedong (India was amongst the first countries to recognize the People’s republic and propose its entry into the UN) meant that the Chinese would not resort to military force and deployed 43 Indian forward posts in the un-inhabited Aksai Chin region bordering Leh & Ladakh without adequate military force to back up the claims. The Chinese launched a swift assault and overran Indian positions across most of the border from Aksai Chin to the north-east quickly withdrawing to pre-war borders when it became apparent the Americans were about to get involved upon Nehru’s urgent talks with John Kennedy

The Final Years and Nehruvian Legacy
In the immediate months following the Sino-Indian war of 1962, Nehru’s health progressively worsened, until finally he had a heart attack and passed away in 1964. Many attribute this to his chagrin over the turn of events with China. However, Nehru left an indelible mark on India’s psyche, from the belief in a modern secular parliamentary democracy to industrialization and even the license-raj. Although opposed to his daughter’s entry into politics, the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty would go on to become the most powerful in India till this day. Nehru’s belief that science was of utmost importance even in a starving country led to the establishment of professional Institutions which have now allowed Indians and India to increasingly become successful in a globalized setting. His impeccable sense of style has resulted in the sherwani which he often wore now referred to as the Nehru Jacket. His emphasis on the future generation was honored with his birthday declared as Children’s Day

Fun Fact: First commemorative coin of Independent India. The 50p is unique because it is the only coin that comes in an English as well as Hindi Version. Only personality to be commemorated thrice on a coin (1964, 1989, 2014). According to Indian/Hindu custom, one would not normally publicly commemorate a death (anniversary). However, as Nehru, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi died whilst still in office, coins in their honour have been issued as an exception.
There is an Ashoka Lion variety of the Re1 coin 1989

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jawaharlal_Nehru
Extract of audio Tryst with Destiny: https://youtu.be/1wUcw8Ufx_Y

Non-Align Movement Meeting with Nasser & Sukarno


With the Mountbattens

INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTENARY YEAR 1911-2011 (Rs5, Rs100)

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. As early as 1911, the Government of India set up the Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) with the specific objective of sponsoring and coordinating medical research in the country. It was redesignated in 1949 as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with considerably expanded scope of functions.
The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The Council's research priorities coincide with the National health priorities such as control and management of communicable diseases, fertility control, maternal and child health, control of nutritional disorders, developing alternative strategies for health care delivery, containment within safety limits of environmental and occupational health problems; research on major non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, blindness, diabetes and other metabolic and haematological disorders; mental health research and drug research (including traditional remedies). The Governing Body of the Council is presided over by the Union Health Minister. It is assisted in scientific and technical matters by a Scientific Advisory Board comprising eminent experts in different biomedical disciplines. The Board, in its turn, is assisted by a series of Scientific Advisory Groups, Scientific Advidsory Committees, Expert Groups, Task Forces, Steering Committees etc. which evaluate and monitor different research activities of the Council. The Council promotes biomedical research in the country through intramural as well as extramural research. Over the decades, the base of extramural research and also its strategies have been expanded by the Council.

~ Redacted from http://icmr.nic.in/About_Us/About_ICMR.html

INDIRA GANDHI 1917-1984 (1985) (50p, Rs5, Rs20, Rs100)

~ I don't mind if my life goes in the service of the nation. If I die today every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation. (said the night before she was assassinated)

Early Years: In 1941, despite her father’s protests, Indira married Feroze Gandhy. a rising star in the Congress’ youth wing and a future MP from the Rae Bareilly constituency. However, marital problems and Feroze’s death in 1960 drew Indira close to her father. Indira’s prominence in independent India’s political process began with her election as Congress President in 1959 despite Nehru’s initial reluctance. She later went on to hold a cabinet portfolio as minister of information and broadcasting in Shastri's government. The Syndicate (an unofficial council of party elders) selected her as prime minister when Shastri died in 1966 even though her eligibility was challenged by Morarji Desai, a veteran nationalist and long-time aspirant to that office. The Congress "bosses" were apparently looking for a leading figure acceptable to the masses, who could command general support during the next general election but who would also acquiesce to their guidance.

First term as Prime Minister: Hardly had Indira taken up office than she encountered a series of problems that defied easy solutions: Mizo tribal uprisings in the northeast; famine, labor unrest, and misery among the poor in the wake of rupee devaluation; and agitation in Punjab for linguistic and religious separatism. Following her election in 1967 and seeking to eradicate poverty, Mrs. Gandhi pursued a vigorous policy in 1969 of land reform and placed a ceiling on personal income, private property, and corporate profits (the beginning of the licence-raj). She also nationalized the major banks, a bold step amidst a growing rift between herself and the party elders. The Congress expelled her for "indiscipline" on November 12, 1969, an action that split the party into two factions: the Congress (O)--for Organisation--under Desai, and the Congress (R)--for Requisition--under Gandhi. She continued as prime minister with support from communists, Sikhs, and regional parties.

Electoral legitimacy and finding her inner Iron Lady: Indira campaigned fiercely on the platform "Garibi Hatao" (Get Rid of Poverty) during the fifth general election in March 1971, and the Congress (R) gained a large majority in Parliament. In August 1971, Gandhi signed the twenty-year Treaty of Friendship with the Soviet Union due to Nixon’s decision to fully back Pakistan and deploy a US naval fleet in the Bay of Bengal to intimidate India thus pushing India into the Soviet Block and diluting the Non-aligned Movement philosophy. India's decisive victory over Pakistan over the East Pakistan conundrum in December 1971, her insistence that the 10 million refugees from Bangladesh be sent back to their country and the signing of the Shimla accord with ZA Bhutto (that changed the Kashmir question into a purely bilateral issue) generated a national surge in her popularity, later confirmed by her party's gains in state elections in 1972. She had firmly established herself at the pinnacle of power, overcoming challenges from the Congress (O), the Supreme Court, and the state chief ministers in the early 1970s. The more solidified her monopoly of power became, the more egregious was her intolerance of any criticism. As head of her party and the government, Gandhi nominated and removed chief ministers at will and frequently reshuffled the portfolios of her own cabinet members. Ignoring their obligations to their constituencies, party members competed with each other in parading their loyalty to Gandhi, whose personal approval alone seemed crucial to their survival. However, neither Gandhi's consolidation of power, nor her imperious style of administration and rhetoric of radical reforms was enough to meet the deepening economic crisis spawned by the enormous cost of the 1971 war.

A dark period in India’s democratic evolution: Both Gandhi's office and character came under severe tests, beginning with railroad employee strikes, national civil disobedience advocated by J.P. Narayan, defeat of her party in Gujarat by the Janata Morcha Coalition, an all-party no-confidence motion in Parliament, and, finally, a writ issued by the Allahabad High Court invalidating her 1971 election and making her ineligible to occupy her seat for six years. What had once seemed a remote possibility took place on June 25, 1975: the president declared an Emergency and the government suspended civil rights and invoked censorship. Because the nation's president, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1974-77), and Gandhi's own party members in Parliament were amenable to her personal influence, Gandhi had little trouble in pushing through amendments to the constitution that exonerated her from any culpability, declaring President's Rule in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu where anti-Indira parties ruled, and jailing thousands of her opponents. In her need to trust and confide in someone during this extremely trying period, she deferred to her younger son, Sanjay, who became an enthusiastic advocate of the Emergency. Under his watchful eyes, forced sterilization as a means of birth control was imposed on the poor, increased numbers of urban squatters and slum dwellers in Delhi were evicted in the name of beautification projects, and disgruntled workers were either disciplined or their wages frozen.

Down but not out: The Reign of Terror, as some called it, continued until January 18, 1977, when Gandhi suddenly relaxed the Emergency, announced the next general election in March, and released her opponents from prison. With elections only two months away, both J.P. Narayan and Morarji Desai reactivated the multiparty front, which campaigned as the Janata Party and rode anti-Emergency sentiment to secure a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. Desai became India's fourth prime minister (1977-79), but his government, from its inception, became notorious for its factionalism and furious internal competition. The Janata government restored freedom and democracy, but its inability to effect sound reforms or ameliorate poverty left people disillusioned. As a result, some allies abandoned the coalition and new elections were announced in January 1980.

Final term and dark clouds ahead: Gandhi and her party, renamed Congress (I)--I for Indira--campaigned on the slogan "Elect a Government That Works!" and regained power. Unlike during the Emergency, when India registered significant economic and industrial progress, Gandhi's return to power was hindered by a series of woes and tragedies, beginning with Sanjay's death in June 1980 while attempting to perform stunts in his private airplane. Secessionist forces in Punjab and in the northeast and the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in December 1979 consumed her energy. She began to involve the armed forces in resolving violent domestic conflicts between 1980 and 1984. In May 1984, Sikh extremists occupied the Golden Temple in Amritsar (the most holy shrine of the Sikh faith), converting it into a fortress for armed militants. Gandhi responded in early June by launching Operation Bluestar. Tanks rolled in and by the end, hundreds of soldiers, insurgents, and civilians had been killed or wounded besides the temple complex itself being nearly destroyed. Guarding against further challenges to her power, she removed the chief ministers of Jammu & Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh just months before her assassination by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984 (who she insisted be retained despite intelligence warnings). The news of Indira Gandhi's assassination plunged New Delhi and other parts of India into anti-Sikh riots for three days with some congress party workers actively encouraging the mobs. Several thousand innocent Sikh citizens were killed, women raped and their houses and businesses burnt to the ground.

~ Redacted from http://indiragandhibiography.blogspot.com/

Fun Fact: First woman to be commemorated on a Republic of India coin. First Rs5 coin issued in India.

How much can people hate each other's guts ? Ask these two




All the ministers can wait while I ignore them

DR. SYAMA PRASAD MOOKHERJEE CENTENARY 2001 (Rs2,Rs10,Rs50,Rs100)

Mukherjee initially started out as an advocate in the Calcutta High Court in 1924 before becoming the University of Calcutta's Vice-Chancellor in 1934 (a position his father had previously held). His first prominent stint in politics occurred in 1939-40 when he was elected to the Legislative Council of Bengal as a congress candidate, though he sooned resigned as part of the congress' boycott movement. However, he subsequently got elected as an independent candidate and went on to hold the Finance Ministry portfolio of Bengal Province in 1941-42. He quickly founded the Hindu Mahasabha in 1944 with the express aim of politically uniting Hindus on a religious platform, and as President of the forum, styled himself as a spokesperson for Hindu causes following the Muslim League's demand for (often unreasonable) special treatment and rights for Indian Muslims. Mukherjee was initially opposed to partition; but he believed that Hindus could not live in a Muslim-dominated state and as a result of the communal riots of 1946-47, turned into a strong proponent of the partition of Bengal. Following Mahatma Gandhi's assassination by Nathuram Ghodse, who was believed to be a member of the Hindu Mahasabha, the group was banned and Mukherjee distanced himself from the organisation he created. Following independence, Mukherjee was inducted into the National Cabinet as Minister for Industry & Supply. However, he resigned in April 1950 following friction between him and various congress leaders on what he perceived as muslim appeasement policies. He went on to set up the Bharatiya Jan Sangh in 1951 and became a vocal critic of government policy on Kashmir and minority rights besides favouring the introduction of a uniform civil code based on Hindu principles. Mukherjee visited J&K in 1953 and went on a hunger strike to demand the abrogation article 370 of the Constituion that allowed J&K a special status within the Indian union (eg. Non-Kashmiris cannot buy land in J&K although Kashmiris can do so throughout India). He was arrested and died while still in custody. No inquiry was carried out and the exact details of his death remain shrouded in mystery and conspiracy. Along with Veer Savarkar and others, he is regarded as one of the god-fathers of Hindutva politics.

Read more : http://shyamaprasad.org/home.html

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA 1950-2000 (Rs2, Rs50)

On 28 January 1950, two days after India became a sovereign democratic republic; the Supreme Court came into being and replaced the Federal Court of India as well as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The inauguration took place in the Chamber of Princes in the Parliament building from where it held court until acquiring its present premises in 1958. The Court has since delivered more than 24,000 reported judgments.
The Supreme Court has original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction under Articles 32, 131-144 of the Constitution. Original jurisdiction pertains to hearing on disputes between the central and one or more state governments or between state governments. Appellate jurisdiction relates to civil and/or criminal cases referred by the various high courts that deal with fundamental and/or constitutional laws. Finally the Supreme Court has special advisory jurisdiction in matters specifically referred to it by the President of India under Article 143 of the Constitution or relevant sections of various acts.
The Constitution of India originally provisioned for a Chief Justice and 7 lower-ranking Judges leaving it to Parliament to increase this number. In the early years, a full bench of the Supreme Court sat together to hear the cases presented before them. As the work of the Court increased and cases began to accumulate, Parliament increased the number of Judges to its current strength of 31. As the number of the Judges has increased, they sat in smaller Benches of two and three (referred to as a Division Bench)—coming together in larger Benches of 5 and more only when required (referred to as a Constitutional Bench) to settle fundamental questions of law. The President must appoint judges in consultation with the Supreme Court and appointments are generally made on the basis of seniority thereby forestalling political preference. A Judge of the Supreme Court cannot be removed from office except by an order of the President passed after a special session in each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of members present and voting.
However, the credibility of the Supreme Court came under serious question during the emergency period when several judges were transferred and those considered loyal to the PM were promoted. The Morarji Desai govt. that came to power after emergency quickly moved to restore the independence and power of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court's creative and expansive interpretations of Article 21 (Life and Personal Liberty), primarily after the Emergency period, have given rise to a new jurisprudence of public interest litigation (PIL) that has vigorously promoted many important economic and social rights as well as civil and political rights traditionally protected in the Fundamental Rights chapter of the Indian Constitution. The Supreme Court has often taken an activist stand across a spectrum of issues from hearing and adjudicating on cases pertaining to controlling air pollution in Delhi to de-criminalising a person’s homosexual status (but not the act itself). As a result, the judiciary has often found itself at logger-heads with the legislative branch.

Fun Fact: First time that the Ashoka Lion graces both sides of a modern Indian coin.

Official Website: http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in/
Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_court_of_india
Some landmark cases & commentary : http://www.lawisgreek.com/category/constitution-india/environmental-laws/landmark-cases
A list of important PILs : http://www.halsburys.in/important-Cases-PIL.html

DR. B R AMBEDKAR BIRTH CENTENARY 1990 (Re1) / DR. B R AMBEDKAR 125TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 2015 (Rs10, Rs125)

"My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on our side I do not see how we can loose our battle. The battle to me is a matter of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. There is nothing material or social in it. For ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is battle for freedom. It is the battle of reclamation of human personality"

Born to the Mahar Caste of "untouchables", Bhimrao was fortunate to receive an education as his father was a subedhar in the Indian army and as a result could enroll in a military run school. However, unofficially, teachers would separate lower caste students from their higher caste peers, often serving them food in seperate canteens and even restricting access to water of lower caste students. Discrimination would continue to follow Ambedkar as he enrolled in Elphinstone College, the first dalit to do so and then graduate in Political science from Bombay University in 1912. Bhimrao obtained a scholarship from the Gaikwad of Baroda for his outstanding academic record and used the money to study further in the US and Europe from where he would attained a D.Sc from University of London and a PhD from Columbia for his research in law, economics and political science. He returned to India in 1917 to serve as the Defence Secretary of the Gaikwad but would soon resign to take up a professorship at Sydneham College.
Ambedkar's first brush with politics came about when he was invited to testify before the Southborough Committee which was tasked with creating the Government of India Act 1919. Ambedkar argued for the creation of separate electorates for the lower castes and minorities and would repeat this demand at the Simon commission in 1925 although the Congress boycotted the commission. In 1932, Ambedkar sucessfully pushed for the inclusion of seperate electorates for the dalits during the Second Round Table Conference in London, setting off a direct confrontation with Gandhi who opposed seperate electorates for dalits (but accepted for religious minorities) and went on a fast from Yerawada Central Jail, Poona. With the looming possibility of sectarian violence against dalits, Ambedkar was coerced from several quarters to drop his initial demands in return for a specified number of reserved seats for dalits. By 1927, Ambedkar had already launched several movements that fought for equal rights for the dalits to enter temples, drink water from common wells and even ceremoniously burning the casteist excerpts of the Manusmriti. In 1936, Ambedkar founded the Independent Labour Party, which won 15 seats in the 1937 elections to the Central Legislative Assembly and served on the Defence Advisory Committee and the Viceroy's Executive Council as minister for labour. With India's independence and the newly formed congress govt under Nehru, Ambedkar was invited to join the cabinet as India's first Law Minister and the Chairman of the Drafting Committee for the Constitution of India. However, he would resign in 1951 after the Hindu Code Bill which he drafted and that sought to give equal rights to women and lower castes was stalled in parliament despite Nehru's personal support. Although he contested independently in 1952 to the Lok Sabha and was defeated, he was soon appointed as a member to the Rajya Sabha which he would remain until his death in 1956. Ambedkar was fascinated with Buddhist teaching all his life and travelled to Ceylon, Nepal and Burma in the 1950s. Under the tutelage of a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Ambedkar organised a formal conversion public ceremony for himself and his supporters in Nagpur on 14 October 1956. Accepting the Three Refuges and Five Precepts as per the Theravada tradition, Ambedkar completed his own conversion and proceeded to convert an estimated three to five hundred thousand people, the single largest conversion ceremony in history. Ambedkar's health rapidly faded in 1955 due to illnesses associated with diabetes and compounded by his incresaing embitterment with the political situation at the time. Within a few days of penning what would be his last manuscript, The Buddha and his Dhamma, Ambedkar passed away in his sleep on 6 dec 1956. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1990.

wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhimrao_Ambedkar
Photos, quotes & online Books : http://www.ambedkar.org/

Ambedkar and the Constitution Drafting Committee

CELLULAR JAIL PORT BLAIR 1997 (Re1)

The Cellular Jail is a powerful symbol of the most brutal aspects of British colonial rule. Although the prison complex itself was constructed between 1896 and 1906, the British had been using the Andaman Islands as a prison in the immediate aftermath of the uprising of 1857. Shortly after the rebellion was crushed, the British sent thousands of mutineers to the gallows, hung them up from trees, or tied them to cannons and blew them up. Those who survived were exiled for life to the Andamans to sever their connections with their families and their country. The first 200 inmates were transported to the islands under the custody of the jailer David Barry and Major James Pattison Walker, a military doctor who had been the warden of Agra Prison. The remoteness of the islands allowed the British to unquestioningly exploit the prisoners into chain gangs to construct prisons, buildings and harbour facilities which resulted in many deaths. With the growing independence movement, the number of prisoners sent to the Andamans grew exponentially and the need for a high-security prison was felt. The newly-constructed Cellular Jail had seven wings, at the centre of which a tower served as the intersection and was used by guards to keep watch on the inmates. The wings radiated from the tower in straight lines, much like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. A large bell was kept in the tower to raise the alarm in any eventuality. Each of the seven wings had three stories. There were no dormitories and a total of 693 cells. Each cell was 13.5x7.5 feet in size with a ventilator located at a height of three metres. The name, "cellular jail", derived from the solitary cells which prevented any prisoner from communicating with other inmates. Most prisoners of the Cellular Jail were independence activists including Dr. Diwan Singh Kalepani, Maulana Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, Batukeshwar Dutt, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and many others. Hunger strikes by the inmates during the early 1930s called attention to the inhumane conditions of their imprisonment. The government decided to repatriate the political prisoners from the Cellular Jail in 1937-38. In 1942, the Empire of Japan invaded the Andaman Islands and as a result the Cellular Jail became home to British prisoners instead. During this period, Subhash Chandra Bose visited the islands from where he hoisted the Azad Hind Flag for the first time on Indian soil. Two out of the seven wings of the Jail were demolished during the Japanese regime. In 1945, the British resumed control with the end of WWII. Another two wings of the jail were demolished after India achieved independence leading to protests from several former prisoners and political leaders who saw it the obliteration of tangible evidence of their persecution. The remaining three wings and the central tower were therefore converted into a National Memorial in 1969. The Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, with 500 beds and 40 resident doctors, was set up in the premises of the Cellular Jail in 1963. The centenary of the jail's completion was marked on 10 March 2006.

A little bit on the Andaman & Nicobar Islands: The Islands, a union territory of India since 1956, are located to the south east of India with Indira Point deemed as India’s most southerly land mass 150km away from Sumatra. The islands’ 700 thousand strong population is governed from Port Blair and includes mostly settlers who came during & after the British Raj. The indigenous Andamanese tribes now only number a few hundred with the Jawara and the Sentinelese still maintaining their isolation from other Indians. The Nicobaris number in the few thousands (genetically unrelated to the Andamanese) and include the Shompen. The earliest recordings about these islands date from Tanjore inscriptions that suggest the islands were used by Raja Chola I (1014 to 1042 CE) to launch raids on the Sriwijiya Empire in present day Sumatra. The earliest European colonization attempts were made by Denmark through the erstwhile Danish East India Company in 1755 who eventually sold the islands to the British in 1869. The economy of the islands is mainly based on agriculture, small scale industries including fisheries and tourism. Many of the islands are off-limits to civilians as they serve as naval bases of the Indian Navy or as a means of protection to aboriginal tribes.

Fun fact: The special 2 coin set pictured below was not made available to the general public via the mints

wikipedia.org on Cellular Jail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_Jail
wikipedia.org on the Islands: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands

(http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/380060_10150516482590943_536160942_10960335_917071580_n.jpg)

SANT DNYANESHWAR 1274-1296 (1999) (Re1, Rs100)

Also known as Jnanadeva, Dnyaneshwar was the second of four siblings born to a Brahmin family in Apegaon, present-day Maharashtra. His father, Vitthal had studied the Vedas and sought to be initiated into sannyas (hermitage & meditation) under the tutelage of his guru Ramananda Swami. However, Vitthal was forced to return to his family once his guru found out that Vitthal was a married man. Consequently, the Brahmin community excommunicated the entire family since Vitthal had defiled the sannyas tradition through deception. In a vain attempt to have their children accepted back into the community, Vitthal and his wife Rukhmini ended their lives by jumping into the waters at the sacred confluence of the Ganga & Yamuna near Prayag (present-day Allahabad). The now-orphaned children grew up on alms and later approached the Brahmin community elders themselves. Their argument with the brahmins earned the children fame and respect due to their righteousness, virtue, intelligence, knowledge and politeness and were eventually accepted on condition they remain celibate. Navrutti, the eldest child who was 10 years old at the time, was initiated into the Nath tradition while Dnyaneshwar and his younger siblings became disciples of Navrutti. Together, they learnt and mastered the philosophy and techniques of kundalini yoga. The children moved to Nevasa in Ahmednagar district where Navrutti instructed Dynaneshwar to write a commentary on the Bhagwad Gita and give discourses to the people. There, Dynaneshwar met other contemporary saints such as Sant Namdev and Chokha Mahar. The Dnyaneshwari was written down by Sacchidananandbaba from these discourses. By the time the commentary was complete, Dnyaneshwar was only 15 years old. Considered masterpieces of Marathi literature, the Dnyaneshwari's 18 chapters were composed in a form known as "ovi". Through these works, sacred knowledge locked for millennia in Sanskrit was now made accessible to common people through the Prakrit (Marathi) language. Dynaneshwar’s commentary also formed the basis for other books such as the Amrutanubhav which dealt with Advaita Siddhanta (Non Dualism), Haripath (chanting god’s name to reach salvation) and around 1000 abhanga (philosophical couplets). After having composed Amritanubhava, Dnyaneshwar made a pilgrimage to northern India with Namdev and other saints and soon expressed his intention to enter into a state of Samadhi (Meditation and fasting to death) at Alandi as he felt his life’s mission was complete. Influenced by their brother’s decision and out of respect for his chosen path, Nivrutti, Sopandev and Muktabai soon followed suit a year later.

Fun Fact: Three lion varieties (15mm, 14mm & 13mm) exist. The 13mm variety can only be found in the Proof/Unc set issued by Calcutta Mint.

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dnyaneshwar

DESHBANDHU CHITTARANJAN DAS 1870-1925 (1998) (Rs2,Rs10,Rs50,Rs100)

Endearingly called “Deshbandhu” (Friend of the Nation), Chittaranjan Das was born in 1870 in Calcutta and pursued his education at the London Missionary Society's Institution at Bhowanipore (Calcutta). While at the Presidency College, Das was a leading figure of the Student's Association and considered Bankim Chandra and Surendranath Banerjea as his political mentors. Upon graduation and after a failed attempt at the Indian Civil Services exam in London, Das eventually joined the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar in 1892. In 1893-94, Das returned to India enrolling himself as a Barrister of the Calcutta High Court and within a few short years served as a defense advocate in many high-profile political cases such as the Alipore Bomb case in 1908 in which he successfully defended Aurobindo Ghose , the Editor of the 'Bande Mataram' and the Dacca Conspiracy case 1910-11. In 1917, Das was invited to preside over the Bengal Provincial Conference of the Congress held at Bhowanipore. His advent into politics took place at a crucial moment, playing a significant role in the controversy over Annie Besant’s election as President of the Congress for its Calcutta Session. During this period he also led agitations against the Government policy of internment and deportation under the Defence of India Act. In 1920, at a special session of the Congress held at Calcutta, Gandhi announced his programme of Non-Cooperation. Although Das agreed in principle, he opposed the boycott of the legislative assemblies, instead advocating that the congress should participate and obstruct legislative business from within. However, his proposals were rejected and Das accepted Gandhi’s lead while renouncing his now large legal practice. Das took an active lead in raising the Congress Volunteer’s Organisation which ensured a successful boycott of the Prince of Wales visit to Calcutta in 1921. Das was arrested and sentenced to six months' imprisonment as a result. After his release in 1922, he was elected President for the Congress Session at Gaya and proposed "Non-Cooperation from within the Councils" again. However, the proposal was rejected and Das resigned the president-ship of the Congress. Thereafter, he organised the Swarajya Party within the Congress in collaboration with Motilal Nehru, the Ali brothers, Ajmal Khan, V. J. Patel, Pratap Guha Roy and others. Through the efforts of the Swarajists, Maulana Azad was elected President of the Congress Special Session at Delhi, during which the programme of Council-Entry was approved. The Swarajya Party eventually became the defacto legislative wing of the congress. Das was elected the first Mayor of the Calcutta Corporation following the victory of the Swarajists in the election of that organisation in 1924 and was reelected for the next term as well.
Das believed in non-violent and constitutional methods towards independence and stressed the need of constructive work in villages. A champion of national education and vernacular medium, he felt that the masses should be properly educated to participate in the nationalist movement. Das also made his mark as a poet and an essayist. His religious and social outlook was liberal. A believer in women's emancipation, he supported the spread of female education, widow re-marriage and inter-caste marriage. A few years before his death in 1925, Das willed his sprawling estate to the foundation of a hospital for women, today known as Chittaranjan Seva Sadan

~ redacted from http://www.congresssandesh.com/AICC/history/presidents/deshbandhu_chittaranjan_das.htm

100 YEARS CIVIL AVIATION INDIA 1911-2011 (2011) (Rs5, Rs100)

Commercial aviation in India began on 18 Feb 1911 when Frenchman Henri Piquet set a world record by flying the world’s first *official air mail using an airplane from Allahabad to Naini, a distance of 8 miles carrying 6500 letters & Postcards. The first domestic air route between Karachi and Delhi was opened in December 1912 by the Indian State Air Services in collaboration with Imperial Airways, UK as an extension of London-Karachi flight of Imperial Airways. By 1932, JRD Tata launched the first Indian-owned airlines christened TATA Airlines and piloted the first flight himself. In 1946, TATA Airlines was re-named Air India and with the Air Corporations Act 1953 was nationalized and merged with 8 other private airlines, thus making air travel in India a government monopoly (under Air India for International routes & Indian Airlines for domestic routes). As a result, air travel became expensive and elitist due to the inefficient nature of the sector. In 1994, in line with the govt’s new liberalization policy, the 1953 act was repealed and an “open skies” policy introduced which facilitated the entry of new private Indian airline companies as well as foreign airlines to operate flights within India. Foreign equity investment in Indian-owned airline companies is still restricted though the govt. has recently proposed removing FDI caps. Moreover, the govt has allowed the Airports Authority of India (which is entrusted to supervise air travel infrastructure) to auction management and development of airports to private players in an attempt to improve Airport Infrastructure. The GMR group and the GVK group have been especially instrumental in setting up world class facilities in Delhi, Bangalore & Hyderabad and immensely improving the Mumbai Airport. Overall, the Airports authority of India manages 115 airports which include 11 international airports and 23 civil enclaves. The introduction of no-frill airlines such as Spice jet, Indigo and Deccan Airways (now merged with Jet Airways) over the last few years has reduced the average air-fare dramatically and along with overall improved air travel infrastructure has ensured that the annual number of passengers has grown to well over 100 million in 2010-11 from ~37 million in 1998-99. Of these 100 million passengers, Mumbai & Delhi handled more than 50% of the traffic (each at ~30 million passengers annually). With the current global economic turmoil and the soaring cost of fuel, the airline industry has undergone shakeout and consolidation much as in the rest of the world. However, the Indian air travel sector has seen an average annual growth rate of 15% over the last decade, one of the fastest anywhere in the world and yet one of the major still-untapped markets globally (considering that less than 10% of the population has flown till now).

*It appears a certain Fred Wiseman also claims this title, though there is some confusion as his flight lasted 20 minutes although his flight went on for two days from 17 Feb to 18 Feb 1911. The only thing clear is that his was not an officially sanctioned event http://www.fredwiseman.org/

Fun Fact: First commemorative coin to carry the Rupee symbol.

AUROBINDO : ALL LIFE IS YOGA 1998 (Rs2,Rs10,Rs50,Rs100)

Aurobindo Ghose, Aravinda Ghosh, Arvind G. Known by many names, but the man made his mark in the freedom movement and left an even greater indelible legacy on india's spiritual and civilisational evolution.
I have consciously avoided talking about the basic tenets of Aurobindo's philosophy as this is out of the scope of my post. You are welcome to read more from the wiki link at the bottom of the post

Although born in Rangapur (in present-day West Bengal), Aurobindo spent most of his formative years in the UK as his father insisted that Aurobindo and his siblings get an English education free of any Indian cultural influences. As a result, Aurobindo first studied at the Loreto Convent, Darjeeling, moving on to St. Pauls School and finally to King’s College in Cambridge. Under pressure from his father to join the Indian Civil Services, Aurobindo attempted and passed the written test, but eventually decided not to present himself at the horse riding examination and was thereby disqualified.
However, the Gaekwad of Baroda who was travelling through London at the time offered Aurobindo a post in the State’s Survey & Settlements department. Aurobindo thus returned to India in 1893 and later on joined the Baroda Secretariat where he would write speeches for the Gaekwad. It was at this time that Aurobindo started learning about Indian culture, philosophy and languages including his mother tongue Bengali. However, these pursuits lead to lack of punctuality at work and he was soon transferred to Baroda College as a professor of French. By now, Aurobindo had become politically active and covertly established links with Tilak, Sister Nivedita, Jatindra Nath Banerjee and others.
Aurobindo attended the Benares session of the Congress 1905 in the backdrop of the recent partition of Bengal. Inspired by the outpouring of resentment towards the govt., Aurobindo plunged himself into politics, leading the swarajists within the Congress along with Tilak that would cause of split within the organization during the Surat Session of 1907. His arrest and acquittal for printing seditious material in Bande Mataram further consolidated his position as the leader of the aggressive nationalists. He was arrested again in May 1908 in connection with the Alipore Bomb Case but was acquitted (thanks to a robust defence by CR Das) and released after a year of isolated incarceration. Although Aurobindo had developed a fascination for yoga and spiritual philosophy since his days working for the Gaekwad, it was his year in solitary confinement that allowed him to take the next step and completely embrace his spiritual rather than political side. However, under constant threat of further imprisonment, Aurobindo finally made the decision to move permanently to the then French colony of Pondicherry (near Madras) in 1910.
In Pondicherry, after four years of concentrated yoga, Aurobindo sought to explain his vision through the launch of Arya, a monthly issue that lasted for six years and carried his writings such as The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, Essays on The Gita etc. Thereafter, Aurobindo's main literary output was his voluminous correspondence with his disciples. Many were brief comments made in the margins of his disciple's notebooks in answer to their questions and reports of their spiritual practice—others extended to several pages of carefully composed explanations of practical aspects of his teachings. In the late 30’s Sri Aurobindo resumed work on a poem he had started earlier—he continued to expand and revise this poem for the rest of his life. It became perhaps his greatest literary achievement, Savitri, an epic spiritual poem in blank verse of approximately 24,000 lines based on the Mahabharata.
During his time in Pondicherry, Aurobindo developed a close spiritual connection with Mirra Richard (b.Alfassa), a Parisian whom Aurobindo considered his intellectual equal who he reverently referred to as The Mother. After his death on 5 December 1950, The Mother was entrusted to take his vision forward, setting up the Auroville Ashram and many other institutions besides working for the amalgamation of the French colonies into the Indian Union. She was also instrumental in declaring that Pondicherry would be the official seat of Franco-Indian cultural exchange. The Auroville Ashram continues to host thousands of international citizens who seek spiritual yogic knowledge.

wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurobindo

150 YEARS OF COMPTROLLER & AUDITOR GENERAL OF INDIA 2011 (Rs5, Rs150)

How The CAG Is Structured
Now in its 150th year, the office of the CAG has around 48,000 employees across the country. Big states have between three and five AGs, small states, only one. Vinod Rai, the 15th CAG, is assisted by five deputy CAGs.

What The CAG Does
The duties and powers of the CAG were codified by a 1971 Act of Parliament. It conducts three types of audits of public spending:
Financial Audit: To establish if acceptable accounting standards for financial reporting and disclosure have been complied with
Compliance Audit: To find out if laid-down procedures have been followed, like in defence procurements or project tenders
Performance Audit: To evaluate if programmes/projects have achieved desired objectives and provided intended benefits

What Happens After A CAG Audit
Once an audit report is placed in Parliament/state legislatures, specialised committees are constituted. At the Centre, these are the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Undertakings (CPU).
PAC satisfies itself that the funds were disbursed legally on the service or the purpose to which they were applied. The PAC also examines the statement of accounts of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies.
CPU exercises similar financial control on the PSUs. It also does appraisal or evaluation of policies and programmes. Its focus is on systemic defects leading to any irregularity, and course-correction.

Some Causes Celebres
CAG Catch 1 : 2G Spectrum, 2010 : The CAG audit over a six-year period from 2003 finds loopholes in the implementation of norms, leading to DoT allocating spectrum at 2001 prices. Estimated loss to exchequer: the now-household figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.
Outcome: Former telecom minister A. Raja, MP Kanimozhi, telecom and real estate executives are in jail. Has raised questions on whether CAG should dwell on policy matters.
Catch 2 : Gorshkov deal, 2009 :CAG raises a stink about cost escalation in the procurement of Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, and the indigenous construction of six French Scorpene subs. Navy had agreed to pay Rs 5,000 crore more for Gorshkov.
Outcome: The government was forced to respond to the public outcry and reopen both deals, along with taking a fresh look at all future acquisitions.
Catch 3 : Defence deals, 2009 : On the heels of a CBI probe into procurement, CAG finds irregularities in the award of contract, flouting of norms of agreement with overseas suppliers, lack of internal audit mechanism among others. Estimated loss: Rs 9,000 crore.
Outcome : Many CAG recommendations have been accepted, leading to better safeguards. However, defence deals remain an area of concern, with kickbacks galore.
Catch 4 : CWG, 2009 : The CAG is not an auditor on call, but was asked by then sports secretary for a concurrent audit of the Commonwealth Games. Its report to the PM, a year ahead of the event, highlights several
irregularities in the run-up to the Games.
Outcome: The probe and trial of CWG organising committee bosses, including Suresh Kalmadi, are in progress. The CAG’s audit report of the Games is to be tabled soon.
Catch 5 : Nuclear fuel, 2009 : CAG blames DAE for being lax about not using available resources for nuclear energy production. Says capacity utilisation at N-plants was brought down by 50 per cent during 2003-08, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 6,000 crore.
Outcome: India continues to look overseas for nuclear fuel supply and for partnering its nuclear power programme, especially in the wake of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.
Catch 6 : NRHM, 2009 : CAG blows holes in government claims of improvement in health services through the National Rural Health Mission. Report reveals that 71 per cent districts in the country are not covered by the scheme due to paucity of funds.
Outcome: The government engaged more ASHAs or community health workers. More focus on rural health infrastructure development and incentivising better healthcare.
Catch 7 : NREGS, 2008 : CAG report reveals shortcomings in the implementation of the flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, leading to loss of resources without benefits accruing to target beneficiaries.
Outcome: Union rural development ministry working with states to improve implementation. CAG is using pocketbook-sized reports to spread awareness.

~redacted from http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?277465

Official Website: http://www.cag.gov.in/

Hawkeye- CAG Vinod Rai perched from CAG HQ in Delhi

CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI 1999 (Rs2, Rs50, Rs100)

Shivaji was born in 1630 at the Shivneri Fort near Pune. His father, Shahaji Bhosale was a Maratha warrior & nobleman who controlled a small fiefdom from Pune, but served under the Sultanates of the Deccan (i.e. Bijapur, Golconda & Ahmednagar) in their fight against the Moghuls. While his father was sent by the Adilshah of Bijapur to fight in the south, a young Shivaji stayed with his mother, Jijabai, who ensured his spiritual development and education while Dadaji Kondev, a trusted ally of Shahji trained Shivaji in the art of swordsmanship and war.
Taking advantage of the mêlée of battles between the Adilshah of Bijapur and the Mughals, Shivaji set about slowly capturing forts around Pune and beyond. He pioneered the art of diplomatic deception and guerilla warfare by temporarily entering into an alliance with the Mughals against the Adilshah and mounting small but potent attacks on the Adilshah’s troops. After a prolonged battle with several victories and set-backs, Shivaji managed to claim large swathes of the Adilshah’s territory and thereby the sultanate’s ammunition & riches as well.
The Mughals under Emperor Aurangzeb now identified the Maratha’s as a potential threat to their expansion in the Deccan and deeper south and entered into an alliance with the Adilshah of Bijapur. The Mughals, with their overwhelming military superiority swiftly captured large areas of Shivaji’s territories including Pune. Under the presumption that Shivaji was cornered, Emperor Aurangzeb invited him along with his son Sambaji to Agra to negotiate the terms of surrender and make Shivaji a Sardar of the Mughal court. However, in Agra, Shivaji took offence to the fact that he was made to stand behind Mughal military commanders in Aurangzeb’s court. He stormed out and was promptly arrested. However, he managed to escape with his son after a few weeks by hiding in large boxes of sweets destined for a temple (Shivaji feigned a fatal illness and requested that he make daily offerings to the local Hindu deity in Agra) and then fled to the Deccan disguised as Sadhus.
Shivaji quickly resumed his war against the Mughals and the Adilshah of Bijapur and made concrete gains especially in the southern Deccan area. Having acquired significant territory and convinced of his Kingdom’s integrity, Shivaji coronated himself as Chattrapati of the Maratha’s in Raigad in 1674. His rule was marked by an able governmental structure, freedom of religion, revival of ancient Sanskrit and Hindu traditions, the raising of a large navy to conduct trade and guard the Konkan Coast and building of Forts to secure the land frontiers. Shivaji himself has been adulated as a people’s king and for his respect for women.
After Shivaji’s death in 1680 and in the aftermath of the Mughal’s slow descent into chaos after Aurangzeb’s death, the Maratha Empire would soon grow to become one of the largest, stretching from Kandahar in the northwest, to Tamil Nadu in the south. The Empire would later be governed by Peshwas (military commanders) as a confederacy under Shivaji’s grandson Shahuji. Over time, these Peshwas declared themselves rulers of their territories and continued to persist (by accepting suzerainty of the British crown) even after their defeat in the third Anglo-Maratha war of 1818. The most famous of these Peshwas are the Gaekwads of Baroda, the Holkars of Indore, the Scindias (or Shindes) of Gwalior and the Bhosales of Satara, Nagpur and Kolhapur.

wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivaji

8TH WORLD TAMIL CONFERENCE: ST THIRUVALLUVAR 1995 (Re1, Rs2, Rs5)

St. Thiruvalluvar was a celebrated Tamil poet & philosopher whose contribution to Tamil literature has been immortalized in the Thirukkural, a work on ethics. Historical accounts surrounding his birth are scant, though he is first mentioned in a 10th century text called Thiruvalluvarmaalai ("Thiruvalluvar's garland"). It is generally believed that the name Thiruvalluvar consists of Thiru (similar to “Mr.” in English) and Valluvar (a polite name for Valluvan, according to Tamil tradition). The name Valluvan is a common name representing a caste or occupation rather than a proper name. However, it is not known whether the author of Tirukkuṛal (Valluvan) was named after his community or vice versa. There are several claims regarding where he lived, but none of them have been verified. One legend associates him with Madurai, the ancient capital of the Pandya rulers who vigorously promoted Tamil literature. According to another he was born and lived in Mylapore, a part of present day Madras, and traveled to Madurai to submit the Thirukural for approval of the Pandyan king & the college of poets. Most historians agree that Thiruvalluvar spent at least part of his life in Madurai because it was under the Pandya rulers that many Tamil poets flourished. There is yet another school of thought that says that Valluvar was a king who ruled Valluvanadu in the hilly tracts of the Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu.

A little on the Tamil Language: Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and was declared as a classical language by the government of India in 2004. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore and is spoken by significant minorities in Malaysia, Mauritius, Seychelles and La Réunion. The language has been in continuous usage from atleast 300 BC and can be divided into Old Tamil, Middle Tamil & Modern Tamil. Old Tamil is best epitomized by the use of the Tamil Brahmi script and the famous collection of secular poems known as Sangam Literature. Besides, Old Tamil was unique in terms of the absence of a distinct present tense (there was only a past tense and a non-past tense). By 800 AD, Tamil became highly influenced by Sanskrit in terms of religious & scientific terminology and grammatical construction. The present tense was introduced and the Pallava dynasty adopted a new script derived from the Pallava Grantha script. Iraiyanar Akapporuḷ, an early treatise on love poetics, and Nannul, a 12th century grammar that became the standard grammar of literary Tamil date from the Middle Tamil era. Modern Tamil, which is more colloquial in nature, began to occur from the 13th century onwards while modern literary Tamil, based on the Nannul, still retains its Middle Tamil origins. In the early 20th century, a movement by Tamil linguistic scholars took root which demanded “purism” of the language. Since independence and with political patronage, the number of loan words from other languages has been significantly reduced and replaced with native terminology in official documentation and indeed in everyday conversation. There are various Tamil dialects, though the more famous standards are Madras Tamil, Madurai Tamil, Thanjavur Tamil, Kanyakumari Tamil, Jaffna Tamil and Batticaloa Tamil among others. Words in Tamil exist in other languages too with relatively popular examples such as catamaran (from kattumaram meaning bundled logs), coir (meaning rope), and pariah (from paraiyan meaning untouchable)

Wikipedia.org on Thiruvalluvar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiruvalluvar
Wikipedia.org on Tamil language: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_language

Kanyakumari with Thirvalluvar Statue & Swami Vivekanada Temple

25th ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE 1947 - 1972 (50p, Rs10)/ 50th YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE 1947 - 1997 (50p, Rs50)

Come this 26th January 2012 and India completes 62 years of her Republican status. While we haven't actually had a coin that commemorates the founding of the Republic of India (i.e. when our National Constitution came into effect), I think this is as good an opportunity as any to talk about events between 1947-1950 that surrounded the birth of our Republic.

British India was an amalgamation of British-Indian Provinces (ruled directly by the British crown as a result of the annexation of princely states prior to 1857) and Indian Princely States (ruled by local kings who accepted the suzerainty of the British Crown, but otherwise had varying degrees of autonomy). While it was decided which British-Indian provinces would go to the two newly formed nation-states via voting of the various state assemblies, the princely states would no longer be bound by the agreements they made with the British, implicitly implying they could join India or Pakistan or remain independent. While Pakistan under Governor-General Jinnah accepted in principle that princely states could remain independent, the Congress under Prime Minister Nehru’s leadership affirmed that all princely states within the territorial borders of the newly formed Indian state would have to accept the paramountcy of the Government of India. Nehru was of the view that not only did the existence of such disparate kingdoms threaten the unity of India, but as hereditary monarchies, they do not promise their subjects responsible democratic governments. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel & VP Menon, the country’s first Home Minister and Home Ministry secretary respectively, were tasked with amalgamating the over 500 princely states that existed at the time within and along the borders of India. Along with enthusiastic backing from Lord Mountbatten, the country’s first Governor-General who shared the Congress’s view (though he stated that kingdoms that bordered India & Pakistan had the right to choose either), the Home Ministry proceeded through diplomatic pressure to convince most princes to accede to the Indian union by signing a “Standstill” agreement (which protected the prince’s Privy Purse, titles & privileges, but transferred external affairs, communication and defense to the Central government) and the Instrument of Accession which legally declared the kingdom’s amalgamation into India.

Conundrum of certain Princely States amalgamation into India
While some Princes such as those of Kutch, Cochin & Bikaner embraced the Indian union, others such as those of Bhopal, Jodhpur and Travancore faced pressure from their peoples and the Indian government to sign the Accession treaty. However, the rulers of Junagarh, Hyderabad and Kashmir were resolute in their insistence to remain independent.

Junagarh : The Nawab of Junagarh in disregard of Mountbatten’s advice, declaring that his state was along the coast and thus accessible to Pakistan, signed an instrument of accession with that country despite the fact that his state laid well within present-day Gujarat and that his subjects were overwhelming against unity with Pakistan. This was in direct contravention to the Congress’ stated policy on amalgamation, with India threatening military force against the Nawab. The Nawab and his family as a result fled to Pakistan. The Royal Court, now facing collapse, requested India to secure the State and a plebiscite was held in Feb 1948 which concluded Junargarh’s accession to the Union.

Hyderabad: By far, the most powerful, largest and wealthiest princely state prior to India’s Independence, Hyderabad was ruled by Nizam Osman Ali Khan and a coterie of Muslim nobility with the Ittehad-ul-muslimeen party as their principle political backer. The Nizam was adamant in his demand for an independent state and sought to establish international diplomatic relations, even requesting for UN recognition. Throughout the state, the Razakars, a militia affiliated to the Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen began attacking any person and organization that supported accession to India and specifically targeted Hindus who formed the overwhelming majority of the state’s subjects. After negotiations between the Nizam and the Indian govt convened by Lord Mountbatten had failed, India sent it’s overwhelmingly superior military to invade the state, called Operation Polo. The conflict lasted for a few days and concluded in the unconditional surrender of the Nizam’s forces. The Nizam disavowed his complaints to foreign governments and the UN that he made prior to surrender and was formally declared as the Rajpramukh of Hyderabad.

Kashmir: The Maharaja of Kashmir feared that if he joined India or Pakistan, various sections of his multi-religious state would revolt (though Muslims formed the population’s majority). As a result, he sought to remain independent though he was under pressure from Sheikh Abdullah, the leader of the popular National Conference Party to accede to India and abdicate. Pakistan, in turn sent in militant Pathan tribesman (and army men disguised as tribesman) to create chaos in the state in order to force the issue (with the view that after India’s handling of the Junagarh issue, a plebiscite would eventually be held). Before the militants could reach Srinagar, the Maharaja called for Indian military assistance and was forced to sign the instrument of accession before India would help. The Indian military reclaimed territory west of Srinagar, however, in an inexplicable move during the winter of 1947, Nehru who until now had left Vallabhbhai Patel to ensure the integrity of the Indian state, baffled his political & military advisors by declaring a ceasefire and taking the matter to the UN Security Council. As per the terms of the Council’s resolution, The Indian army would secure the entire state upon withdrawal of the Pakistani insurgents and a UN mandated plebiscite would be held that would allow Kashmiri’s to join either India or Pakistan. However, the militants never left and the plebiscite was never held.

Integration of the French & Portuguese colonies

French-India: An agreement between India and France under De Galle called for a plebiscite which would decide whether these enclaves remain with France or integrate into the Indian union. Between 1949 and 1954, elections were held in the various enclaves with each voting almost unanimously to join the Indian state. The French National Assembly passed a Treaty of Cession in May 1956 that officially ended French colonial presence on the sub-continent.

Portuguese-India: Portugal on the other hand sought to firm up their hold on their possessions in India even going to the extent of amending its constitution to convert the territories into Portuguese provinces in 1951. In July 1954, an uprising in Dadra & Nagar Haveli ended Portuguese Rule there. In 1961, after years of failed negotiation and in the backdrop of the Salazar regime’s brutal suppression of Angola’s freedom movement, Indian forces forcibly evicted all Portuguese presence from the western coast. Portugal officially recognized India’s sovereignty of Goa only in 1974 when a democratic revolution forced out the military junta there.

Special relationship with Sikkim – Special no more

Sikkim, along with Nepal and Bhutan had historically enjoyed a dependency-relationship with Britain unlike other princely states of the sub-continent. While Nepal was recognized by India as de-jure independent, Bhutan continues to remain a protectorate of India. However, with Sikkim’s strategic importance in connecting India’s north-east with the rest of the country, the Indian government entered into a Standstill agreement initially and by 1950 created a full-fledged agreement with the Chogyal of Sikkim. However, the Chogyal pushed for greater independence throughout the 1960’s and shared a mutual-hate relationship with his ethnic Nepali subjects. In 1973, with anti-monarch protests spiraling out of control, Indian police and military secured the state and facilitated negotiations between the leader of the opposition and the Chogyal, the result of which was a constitutional monarchy. In April 1975, the Sikkim Assembly passed a resolution that sought full integration with India. After a referendum that saw a near unanimous pro-India vote, the Indian constitution was amended to admit Sikkim as the 22nd state of the Union.

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_integration_of_India
Indian Independence Act 1947: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1947/pdf/ukpga_19470030_en.pdf
Traité de Cession: http://cidif.go1.cc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1559&Itemid=3

Republic Day Parade 2016

SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL 1996 (Rs2, Rs10, Rs50, Rs100)

The Iron-Man of India

Although a Barrister by profession with no initial inclination towards politics, Patel, urged by his associates, stood for and won the election to become Ahmedabad’s Sanitation Commissioner in 1917. His stint there made him disillusioned with the British-India govt’s treatment of Indians and especially of the peasants in Gujarat. Thereafter he joined the Gujarat Sabha (which eventually became a state branch of the National Congress). While first skeptical and even mocking of Gandhi’s philosophies and methods of passive resistance, Patel was overwhelmed by the Mahatma’s persona at a political meeting in Godhra. Gandhi encouraged him to lead a farmer’s agitation against agricultural taxes in various districts of the Bombay Presidency (in present day Gujarat) while Gandhi himself would guide the Satyagraha movement in Champaran, Bihar. Patel successfully led this campaign, not only winning an exemption from taxes that year, but also coerced the government to scale back the rate.

By 1920, Patel had given up his practice and much of his material possessions to serve as the Gujarat Congress’ president. He would turn out to be one of the most instrumental organizers of the Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements besides one of the iconic figures of the Salt Satyagraha. In between and throughout the 20’s, he would also command massive popularity that saw him serve as Ahmedabad’s Municipal president, and under his stewardship, a massive drive to reform the electricity and school system. Patel was again called on to lead protests against discriminatory taxes in Bardoli District in 1928. With popular demonstrations and the ensuing large scale arrests, matters came to a head and the government was forced to repeal taxes and reinstate village officials who had earlier resigned in protest. This particular victory earned him a great amount of respect with colleagues and the public increasingly referring to him as “Sardar” (i.e. Chief).

The twin-arrests of Gandhi and Patel in 1932 after the failed Round Table talks brought the two men closer together. Gandhi would now consider Patel his right hand while Patel would serve as his unwavering support base. With the Congress reversing its initial boycott of assembly elections in 1934, Patel became the Party’s pre-eminent fund raiser and Chairman of its Parliamentary board, determining not only the selection of candidates, but also the party’s stance on various political and social issues. A man considered pragmatic and firm in his convictions, Patel would often clash with other leaders. At the 1936 session, he resolutely opposed the socialist charter proposed by Nehru. In 1938, he led the congress faction that opposed Bose’s call for armed resistance which eventually resulted in Bose resigning his Presidency and membership of the Congress. Patel would continue to spar with Nehru who he believed was too bent towards socialist economics and distracted from the goal of Independence.

In 1946 however, upon Gandhi’s request, Patel stepped down from the Congress Presidency in favour of Nehru thus paving the way for Nehru to become India’s first Prime Minister (although 13 of the 16 congress state units proposed Sardar Patel’s candidature). Patel became India’s first deputy Prime Minister and then the country’s first Home Minister. On the issue of Partition, Patel, through frank discussions was able to convince senior party leaders including Gandhi of the inevitability of Pakistan. At the All India committee which called for a vote on partition, Patel stated:

“I fully appreciate the fears of our brothers from [the Muslim-majority areas]. Nobody likes the division of India and my heart is heavy. But the choice is between one division and many divisions. We must face facts. We cannot give way to emotionalism and sentimentality. The Working Committee has not acted out of fear. But I am afraid of one thing, that all our toil and hard work of these many years might go waste or prove unfruitful. My nine months in office has completely disillusioned me regarding the supposed merits of the Cabinet Mission Plan. Except for a few honourable exceptions, Muslim officials from the top down to the chaprasis are working for the League. The communal veto given to the League in the Mission Plan would have blocked India's progress at every stage. Whether we like it or not, de facto Pakistan already exists in the Punjab and Bengal. Under the circumstances I would prefer a de jure Pakistan, which may make the League more responsible. Freedom is coming. We have 75 to 80 percent of India, which we can make strong with our own genius. The League can develop the rest of the country.”

Patel represented India at the Partition Council overseeing the division of land, public assets and the military between India and the newly formed Pakistan. He successfully negotiated the accession of almost all the princely states into the union and forcefully dealt with the violence during the first weeks of partition. Vallabhbhai was criticized by a faction of the congress led by Nehru and liberal muslims such as Maulana Azad who believed Patel was eager to see muslims leave the Indian Union and uneven in his handling of incoming hindu & sikh refugees and the outgoing muslim refugees. However, with Gandhi’s solid support, Patel denied these charges and along with Nehru and Pakistani leaders, toured the various regions of the Punjab and Bengal urging for a cessation of the violence even going so far as to suppress reports of massacres of hindu and sikh minorities on the Pakistani side of the Punjab and in Karachi. The grief over Gandhi’s death hit Patel hard and he suffered a stroke two months later. Calls for his resignation for failing to protect the Mahatma only served to increase his chagrin. However, Nehru, in appreciation of Patel’s support during some of the previous government crises, publicly expressed his support for Patel. Grateful, Patel publicly dispelled any notion that he sought to be the Prime Minister.

Patel has indeed left an array of lasting legacies. Apart from creating a geographically coherent nation, he ensured that Anglo-Indians were represented in Parliament as Presidential appointees; he actively led the rebuilding of the historic Somnath temple and exhorted Gujarati Farmers to form a milk co-operative that would eventually become a thriving organization in its present avatar as Amul. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel breathed his last on 15 december 1950 at Birla House, Bombay. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991

Fun Fact: Many Ashoka Lion varieties exist for this coin

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallabhbhai_Patel

Nizam of Hyderabad greeting Patel after surrender

SUBASH CHANDRA BOSE CENTENARY 1997 (Rs2,Rs10,Rs50,Rs100)

~ Give me blood and I will give you Freedom

Subash Chandra Bose entered into politics at a relatively young age when he joined the Bengal provincial Congress committee under the mentorship of Chittranjan Das. In 1923, he was elected as the President of All India Youth Congress and by 1927 became general secretary of the Congress Party. During the 1930’s, Bose travelled extensively throughout Europe, meeting with sympathizers in the UK, Germany, Italy and the Soviet Union. Bose was particularly impressed by the disciplined and methodical approach of various European governments including the British, Nazis and the Italian Fascists (though there is no firm evidence to suggest he believed in any of their ideologies).

In 1938, on a wave of popular support within the Congress, Bose was elected the party’s President. However, his insistence that the party consider violent means of uprising and to take advantage of a weakened government during the war saw Bose clash directly with Mahatma Gandhi. As a result, Bose renounce his presidency and membership of the Congress to form his own party called the Forward Block with the aim of consolidating leftist movements and advocated armed resistance against the Imperial government. At the outbreak of WWII, Bose organized several demonstrations in Calcutta including one that campaigned for the removal of the Holwell Memorial (commemorating the Black Hole of Calcutta) from Dalhousie Square. Bose was thus put under house arrest, but managed to escape dressed in a Muslim garb sporting a long beard. Traversing through the Northwest Frontier Province and into Afghanistan, Bose reached Moscow with the help of the German Secret Service (the Abwehr). Frustrated by the lack of support for his cause from Soviet authorities, Bose sought the help of the Nazis and Italian fascists. During his three year stay in Germany, Bose raised the Azad Hind Legion under the Nazi Army composed of Indian PoWs captured in North Africa. During this time, Bose also married his Austrian secretary Emilie Schenkl who bore him a daughter, Anita Pffaf. However, Bose grew increasingly wary of the Nazi’s commitment and capabilities (as they suffered serious reversals on the eastern front), and he sought help from Imperial Japan.

Bose would travel by a German U-Boat to the Cape of Good Hope and then from there change to a Japanese submarine to reach Tokyo. With the financial and military backing of the Japanese, Bose raised the Azad Hind Fauj in Singapore consisting of expat Indians and PoWs captured by the Japanese in South East Asia. With the British retreating from Burma, the Azad Hind Fauj fought alongside the Imperial army at Kohima & Imphal but was soon forced to retreat as the allied forces recovered lost ground. The Provisional Free India Government was set up in the Andaman Islands after the Japanese wrested it from the British in 1942 (though the Japanese were in de facto control of the islands). By 1945, the allied forces were able to push back the Japanese from much of South & East Asia. Subash Bose was en route to Japan aboard an Imperial aircraft when it developed technical problems and crashed in Formosa (present day Taiwan). Subash Bose is said to have died of severe burns within hours of being taken to hospital and his ashes were interned at the Renkoji Temple in accordance with Japanese Buddhist rites.

However, many supporters and scholars dispute that Bose indeed died in the accident and as a result, many conspiracy theories have emerged. The Indian Govt. constituted several inquiry committees to ascertain Subash Bose’s death with often contradicting and inconclusive reports. Till this day, Subash Bose remains a somewhat mysterious and enigmatic figure in the Indian freedom movement with a core following in Bengal and various parts of India.

Fun Fact: First time an error in relation to the date has been made on a Post 1947 coin. Mis-dated 1996 coins were quickly pulled from circulation although some collectors and dealers in the Kolkata area were lucky enough to get these in decent quantity. However, the rates today are sky-high especially for higher grade coins. Beware of re-tooled coins!

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subhas_Chandra_Bose

As president of Congress


Talks with the Germans


Escape to Japanese Sanctuary


Founding of Azad Hind Fauj (Free India Army), Singapore

60 YEARS OF THE ALIPORE MINT 1952-2012 (Rs5, Rs60)

Inaugurated on 19 March 1952 by independent India's first Finance Minister CD Deshmukh, the Alipore Mint in Kolkata took over production of indian coins, medals and other articles from the Old Silver Mint located on Strand Road. However, coins have been minted in Calcutta (under the name "Murshidabad") since 1757 when the first mint was established by the English East India Company in the old Fort Area next to the Black Hole. Thereafter, the mint was shifted to the site of the Gillet Ship Building Establishment with new machinery brought in from England in 1790, and was yet again shifted in 1829 to the Old Silver Mint.

Many coin collectors have derided this theme in terms of the unimaginative design of the motif and the fact that the coin seems to commemorate the Mint building rather than the Institution of the Mint itself. Moreover, collectors off-late have increasingly complained of the inferior quality of buisness-stike coins as well as the relatively higher prices of Proof & UNC sets issued by the Alipore Mint as compared to those issued by the Mumbai Mint

Fun Fact: First coin to carry face value of Rs.60

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Government_Mint,_Kolkata

60 YEARS OF THE PARLIAMENT OF INDIA

The present Parliament building was initially intended to house the Council House under the authority of the viceroy until it was re-designated as the location of Constituent Assembly as per the Montague-Chelmsford reforms of 1919. Once India became a Republic, the first Parliamentary session was held here on 13 May 1952 following the first general election after the declaration of the Constitution of India.

The Indian Parliament functions in a similar manner to that of the UK and is the supreme legislating body of the country. The President of India, along with the Rajya Sabha (i.e. the Upper House also known as the Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (i.e the Lower House) constitute the three arms of the Parliament.
The Parliament meets three times a year, i.e. during the Budget Session, the Monsoon Session and the Winter Session, each lasting between 20 to 35 days. The Parliament appoints standing (i.e. permanent) committees as well as ad hoc committees to study & propose various laws in a consultative manner with the final draft presented to the Lok Sabha for debate. Once passed in the Lok Sabha, the Bill is debated in the Rajya Sabha and if passed, must receive the Presidents assent to become law.

The maximum strength of the Lok Sabha is 552 while the Rajya Sabha is 250. The Lok Sabha is directly elected by the people with a 5 year mandate and is dissolved upon the election of a new government. However, the Rajya Sabha has a perpetual life wherein one-third of its members must face an election every 6 years on a rotational basis. The President appoints 12 members to the Upper House based on their contribution to society in the field of Arts, Science, Sports, Law etc (with the latest appointees being Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Hindi Actress Rekha). The Rajya Sabha is elected through an Electoral College system in which the members of the Lok Sabha and of the various state assemblies carry a specified number of votes.

Both houses of Parliament are designed to provide proportional representation of the populations of various states and union territories. The members of the house must each win an election on a first-past-the-post basis. In consideration of the inequities of Indian society, a quota of reserved seats has been maintained for citizens from “scheduled castes & tribes”. A similar quota of 33% has been proposed in the still pending Women’s Reservation Bill.

In recent years, the government has allowed live telecasts of the proceedings of Parliament which have had a bearing on how MPs react. While at times MPs have tended to put their best foot forward as was the case during Lok Pal debate in August 2012, other recent incidents often show MPs eagerly running to the Well of the House in a blatant attempt to disrupt parliament business. Parliament has increasingly been adjourned with fewer days of business conducted, especially in the last couple years with a weak coalition government, demanding govt. allies, and a fractured opportunistic opposition.

Although many criticize the parliamentary system as slow and unresponsive to the growing needs of a developing country, it is this same system that has shown the flexibility to accommodate various views and interests and yet maintain social stability on a national level. To a large extent, this is one of the institutions that have ensured the progressive and open character of the nation especially when juxtaposed to India’s various neighbours.

Official Website: http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/

Lok Sabha (Lower House - House of Commons)


Rajya Sabha (Upper House - House of Lords)

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNITED NATIONS 1995 (Rs5)

India’s relationship with the United Nations has been a long and intimate one given that the country, although still reeling under colonialism, was one of its founding members in 1945. India played a prominent role all through the 50s and 60s as a leading member of the Non-aligned movement, highlighting global injustices and lending moral support to causes such as the apartheid policies in Southern Africa, the plight of the Palestinians, global nuclear disarmament, the anti-colonial movements across africa etc.
In terms of physical resources, India has constantly registered among the top contributor countries for UN peace keeping forces particularly in Africa and the Middle-east. Over 55,000 Indian Military and Police personnel have served under the UN flag in 35 UN peace keeping operations under leaders such as General Thimmaya, Prem Chand, Rikliye and Satish Nambiar at different points of time. Notably, India led the UN-sanctioned operation Cactus that reinstated Maldivian President Gayoom who had been overthrown in a coup. Similarly, under the auspices of the India-Tamil-Sri Lankan peace agreement, the country sent peace keepers to Northern Sri Lanka which would end disastrously and truly expose the LTTE as an opportunistic militant-cum-terrorist force.
India’s own relationship with the UN has been a mixed one. Nehru, with what many would say was an overly optimistic and even naïve world-view, submitted to the UN Security Council to arbitrate on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, a step that muddled the issue and for which most in India deemed unnecessary given that the country was close to retrieving the entire former Kingdom at the time. Similarly, Nehru was among the PRC’s most vocal supporters in its bid to enter the UN, even going so far as to give up India’s claim to a Security Council seat in favour of the Chinese (as has been revealed through archives obtained by the Washington Post).
However, the India-UN relationship has been a mostly positive one for the world at large. Apart from giving the UN it’s first woman President in Vijay lakshmi Pandit (Nehru’s sister), the country participates in and has lead almost all UN bodies and initiatives on different occasions. Other personalities in the past include Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Dr. Radhakrishnan as Chairman of UNESCO; Rajkumari Amrit Kaur as Chairperson of WHO; Sri V.R. Sen as President of FAO; H.J. Bhaba as Chairman of Atoms for peace Commission; B.N. Rau and Nagendra Singh as Judges of the International Court of Justice. The UN, for its part, has been particularly instrumental in helping India rid itself of small pox entirely and polio for the most part and providing research and funding for agricultural development. Besides, the UN has constantly offered a platform to India to voice its concerns, from issues relating to unfair European & US domination in various economic and social areas, to helping negotiate treaties with neighbors on water-sharing and boundary issues.
The country has served six times on the Security Council as a non permanent member. As one of the leading global democracies and rising powers, India has in the last decade, made clear its claim to a seat at the high table of International decision-making, teaming up with Germany, Brazil and Japan to demand jointly for each of themselves a Security Council seat. India has got public backing from all permanent members apart from China.

Fun Fact: A (wide) lion variety exists

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_and_the_United_Nations
UN in India: http://www.un.org.in/Pages/index.html

UN Mission in Liberia


Vijay Laxmi Pandit (Diplomat & 1st Woman President of UN, J. Nehru's Sister)

RAJIV GANDHI 1944 - 1991 (Re1)

The son of perhaps India’s most autocratic Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi was always seen as someone pushed into the highest levels of politics and government; a situation which he neither wanted and indeed attempted to avoid. However, fate would see to it that following the loss of his brother and mother, Rajiv was put in the unenviable position to take over the reins of the Congress Party and become India’s youngest Prime Minister.

Prior to his forced plunge into politics, Rajiv studied at Trinity College, Cambridge & later on at Imperial College, London (neither of which he graduated from). There, he met his soon-to-be Italian wife, Antonia Maino (aka Sonia Gandhi) and the two would eventually settle in Delhi where Rajiv trained to become a commercial pilot of the Indian Airlines. Apart from being part of the Nehru-Gandhi bloodline, Rajiv’s life was fairly unremarkable until the death of Sanjay made Indira lean more on her only-remaining son which resulted in Rajiv joining active politics as an MP from Amethi (Sanjay’s constituency). In 1985, with the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv was unanimously elected as the President of the congress. His utterings such as “When a giant tree falls, the earth below shakes” in reference to his mother’s death only seemed to worsen the anti-sikh riots that had just engulfed Delhi and many accused him of going-slow on arresting rioting mobs, many of which were lead by congress party men.

Shortly after assuming the Congress mantle, Rajiv requested President Zail Singh to dissolve parliament (as it was nearing its tenure) and rode back to power on a wave of sympathy with the party garnering its biggest victory in decades. Under Rajiv Gandhi, the government slowly started dismantling the license raj-system, modernizing the bureaucracy, industry and education system with phones, computers, modern machinery & techniques etc. But among his negatives, he undermined the secular and gender neutral character of Indian democracy. In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of providing alimony to Shah Bano, a muslim divorcee. But fundamentalists protested against the verdict claiming it to be an encroachment on Muslim Personal Law. The Rajiv govt. submitted to the pressure and passed legislation that nullified the court’s judgement.
On foreign policy, the Rajiv govt. laid more emphasis on friendship with the US, China & Pakistan while maintaining a steady alliance with the Soviet Union. However, among his mistakes, he was widely criticized for deploying Indian forces to reverse a coup that overthrew Maldives longtime autocratic President Gayoom and for interfering in the Sri Lankan civil war which lead to the death of over 1500 Indian peace-keeping army personnel.

Between 1989-1991, several allegations of corruption against the government and Rajiv Gandhi emerged, from billions of dollars of black money stashed away in Swiss Banks to the Swedish Bofors Guns kickback deal (from which Rajiv Gandhi was posthumously exonerated in 2004). The opposition united behind VP Singh’s Janata Dal and formed the government following the 1989 election. However internal squabbling meant that the Janata Dal govt. collapsed by 1991 and fresh elections were called. During his campaign tour through Tamil Nadu, Rajiv Gandhi would meet his end at Sriperumbudur. A LTTE woman suicide bomber, with explosives strapped to her stomach, walked up to Rajiv and bowed to touch his feet. That action detonated the explosive killing Rajiv and atleast 14 others. The blast was powerful enough, that the victim’s bodies were strewn over a fairly large area, a fact that was captured in photographs of the blast scene.

Rajiv Gandhi would leave behind a wife, and two children. While his legacy is still being debated, his family continues to hold sway over the Congress with Sonia as its President and Rahul as the heir-apparent.

Wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_gandhi

Once upon a care free time, with wife Sonia Gandhi


Moments before assassination

150TH ANNIVERSARY OF MOTILAL NEHRU (1862 - 2012) (Rs5, Rs150)

Born to an affluent Kashmiri Brahmin family, Motilal Nehru has in many ways not only played a direct role in India’s freedom struggle, but has also profoundly influenced the political landscape of the country through his progeny. Motilal passed the matriculation examination from Kanpur, thereby becoming among the first Indians to receive a western-style education. He went on to qualify “Bar at Law” from the University of Cambridge and enlisted as a lawyer in the English courts. However, he built his practice in Allahabad where his elder brother was already an established lawyer at the High Court. With the death of his brother in 1887, Motilal became the head of the Nehru household supporting his own family as well as those of his siblings. In 1909, he reached his professional peak by appearing in the Privy Council of Great Britain and became increasingly politically active following his stint as Chairman of the Board of Directors of “The Leader”, a prominent daily journal published in Allahabad. Thereafter he joined the Congress and went on to twice serve as its President. He was one of the driving forces behind the Non-Cooperation movement and although close to Mahatma Gandhi (thanks to Gandhi, Motilal would dramatically change his lifestyle to exclude western clothes & goods), the two fell out over the riots at Chauri Chaura. Motilal joined the Swaraj Party that contested elections in the British-sponsored councils in 1923, but later resigned and re-joined the Congress following the assembly’s rejection of a Constitutional draft conferring full Dominion Status to India. In 1928, Motilal chaired the famous Nehru Commission of the Congress to demand Dominion status to counter the all-British Simon Commission that advocated only limited autonomy. His health began to fail between 1929-1931, a time when his glamourous son Jawarharlal entered politics and took over the Congress Presidency from him. Despite his illness, Motilal continued his political agitation, albeit on a lower key, breathing his last on 6 Feb 1931.

Fun Fact: Ironically, the fourth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to be commemorated on a coin although he is infact the patriach of the family

Wikipedia.org:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motilal_Nehru

Motilal Nehru & Family (Jawarharlal Nehru sitting right)

SILVER JUBILEE MATA VAISHNO DEVI SHRINE BOARD 2012 (Rs5, Rs10, Rs25)

The Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, located at 5300 feet above sea-level in the Trikuta Hills present day Jammu & Kashmir, is one of India’s most renowned Hindu temples with millions of devotees traversing across the country to procrastinate themselves before the Mother Goddess. The temple is also regarded as one of the most important Shaktipeeths since this is where Goddess Sati’s head fell as Lord Shiva carried her corpse in deep sorrow following her self-immolation. The temple is believed to be in continuous existence for ~700 years although the cave housing the three ‘pindies’ (a small rock structure with three heads) was discovered much earlier by Pandit Shridhar who Mata Vaishno Devi appeared to and instructed to hold a feast in her honour.

Mata Vaishno Devi is an amalgamation of Spiritual Energy of Mahakali, Mahasaraswati and Mahalaxmi, with the express purpose to uphold righteousness among human kind and to eventually become one with Vishnu. Born to pious parents in South India, the girl came to be called Vaishnavi to denote her lineage from Vishnu and by the age of nine, after accumulating wisdom well beyond mortal capacity, turned inwards towards meditation in her quest to be closer to Lord Vishnu. She therefore renounced all worldly comforts and exiled herself to the forest where she plunged herself into Tapasaya (deep meditation). Lord Ram, an avatar of Lord Vishnu chanced on her during his 12 year exile, and Vaishnavi, realizing who he was, begged him to marry her (to merge with him in a more spiritual sense). However, Lord Ram considered her unprepared and sworn to monogamy in his current form, dissuaded her with a promise that he would meet her again. True to his word, after his victory, Lord Ram once again appeared to Vaishnavi disguised as an old man. However Vashnavi could not recognize him, falling into deep distraught when she realized her failure. Lord Ram in consoling her, advised her to set up an ashram in the mountains of North India promising to meet her again in Kalyug (the cusp of the Old and New) when he will begin his new incarnation as Kalki. With Ram’s blessing, word of Mata Vaishno Devi spread far and wide and people flocked to her ashram.

Pandit Shridhar organized a grand feast in accordance with Mata Devi’s wishes. Bhairav Nath, a tantric who attended this feast made unwanted advances towards Vaishnavi. In order to avoid confrontation, Vaishnavi fled to the mountains so that she could continue her meditation in peace. However, Bhairav continued stalking her and during the chase, Vaishnavi shot a warning arrow into the ground creating the Baanganga River and leaving her footprints on its banks at Charan Paduka. Unperturbed, Bhairav continued his advances and Vaishnavi was finally forced at the caves to take on the form of Maha Kali and slay Bhairav Nath by lancing off his head. However, moments before death, Bhairav repented for his actions and pleaded for the Goddess’ mercy. Mata Vaishno Devi in acknowledging his genuine love for her decreed that her devotees would pay homage to him at the place where his skull fell as the last venue on their pilgrimage. Mata Vaishno Devi would then go on to immerse herself in deep meditation taking on the form of the Rock with three Pindis (each signifying the three goddesses that Vaishnavi represents)

This article has been redacted from the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board's Website. I would be happy to include more detail if anyone wants to add or PM me

Fun Facts:
- First Indian coin since 1950 to carry an image of a Hindu Deity.
- Several minor die varieties of the motif exist.
- The Proof/UNC mint set issue has been delayed for several years due to cases pending in the high court which purport that coins carrying the Goddesses image is an abuse of religious sentiments. The logic goes that people will treat such coins commercially and without reverence (they are coins afterall!). However news has just come out that the set has indeed been issued as there has until now been no judicial stay on issuing such commemorative coins. Anticipation is high that this will be a "Blockbuster" issue as many collectors and non-collectors alike have shown keen interest in obtaining this set.
- Unconfirmed reports cite that the mints have permission to put into circulation up to 1 billion Rs.5 coins of Mata Vaishno Devi

Official Website of the Shrine Board: https://www.maavaishnodevi.org/

150TH ANNIVERSARY OF MADAN MOHAN MALAVIYA 2012 (Rs5, Rs150)

Born into a conservative Brahmin family in 1861, Madan Mohan Malaviya, who would later be honoured with the prefix “Mahamana” (meaning Great Mind) was an important figure in the freedom movement, not only because of his role in the Indian National Congress, but due to his emphasis on spreading awareness about various issues through newspapers and his accomplishment in setting up the Benaras Hindu University in 1916. Schooled in Sankrit during his primary years and then matriculating from the Muir Central College and obtaining a B.A from University of Calcutta, Malaviya went on to join politics in 1886 by attending the 2nd annual Congress session in Calcutta under Dadabhai Naoroji’s Presidency. Malaviya made his mark through his editorship of newspapers such as the Hindustan Times, The Union and The Leader. He would also go on to obtain a Law degree to practice in the Allahabad Court besides acting as Congress President four times between 1909-32. He was a member of the Imperial Legislative council and then the Central Legislative Assembly between 1912-1926 playing an active lead role in the Non-cooperation movement and the agitation against the Simon Commission. However, he was against the Congress’ participation in the Khilafat Movement which he felt was communal in that it involved needless appeasement of the Muslim community. In protest against the Congress’ soft stand on separate electorates for minorities, Malaviya eventually left the party and started the Congress Nationalist Party which contested the 1934 elections to the central legislature and won 12 seats. In 1916, along with Annie Besant, Malaviya was instrumental in setting up the Benaras Hindu University and served as its Vice Chancellor till 1939. In addition, he also has a lasting legacy in popularizing Scouting in India under the guidance of Justice Vivian Bose (although Scouting was already introduced by the British earlier albeit only among the expat community)

Fun Fact: Although the Bombay 'M' mint mark (signifying Proof strikes) has by now been used (probably accidentally) on circulation commemorative coins such as Tilak and Basaveshwara, in this case, coins bearing the 'M' mintmark are about as common as the Diamond mintmark which is usually the Bombay mintmark engraved on business strikes.

Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madan_Mohan_Malaviya


Benaras Hindu University

QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT 1942-1992 (Re1, Rs10, Rs50, Rs100)

Do or Die

The Quit India Movement, launched in August 1942 was a call given by the Indian National Congress under Gandhi's leadership to oppose British rule following the failure of the Sir Stafford Cripps Mission to secure Indian support for the British war effort. In 1939, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany, the Viceroy immediately pledged India's participation on the side of the allies without consulting the local assemblies. This led the Congress to resign from all municipal and legislative bodies and call for a greater say in India's role in the war. Between 1939 -1942, the British authorities attempted to placate Indian concerns with vague promises of greater autonomy, but only after the war was over. The negotiations finally failed with the round table discussions of the Cripps Mission and the Congress for the first time, passed a Resolution calling for complete Indian independence in July 1942. In Aug, they formally launched the Quit India movement, urging people to peacefully demonstrate in the streets, organise workers strikes and boycott goods and services. However the movement largely failed to deliver on it's goals as the British immediately cracked down by imprisoning tens of thousands of protesters as well as much of the congress leadership. Moreover, there was little support from other movements such as the Muslim league, the Communists, Hindu Nationalists or the princely states and rising domestic concern from many quarters with the Invading Japanese forces from the East. With a diminished congress leadership, there was even violence in certain areas and by 1944, the movement had mostly died out. While the Quit India Movement was not considered an unqualified success on its own, historians mostly agree that it forced the British to finally realise that continued rule over India was untenable and began considering options to grant full independence to the country.

Redacted from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quit_India_Movement

150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE KUKA MOVEMENT 2012 (Rs5, Rs100)

While precise documentation is unavailable on the beginnings of the Kuka Movement (also known as Namdhari Sect), its generally believed that it was founded by Bhagwat Jawar Mal in the early 1840s with Balak Singh being his first disciple (or even perhaps the same person). The primary objective of this movement was to return Sikhs to a pure form of the religion based on the teachings of previous Sikh Gurus. This included a focus on vegetarianism, the prohibition of alcohol and iconoclastic/idol worship, the abolition of casteist customs and traditions and ensuring gender equality. The punjabi word Kuka refers to "shouting or crying" as a part of their prayer rituals while reciting Sikh mantras. The movement quickly spread from its base in Hazro, in today's Pakistan's NWFP to other parts of the subcontinent. By the 1860's the movement began to take a political shape and often without the blessing of Baba Ram Singh, its leader at the time, resulting in the killing of butchers in an attempt to prevent cow slaughter. However, the movement was largely peaceful and in the aftermath of the revolt of 1857, the Kuka movement began to antagonize the British authorities with their civil disobedience tactics. Things came to a head in 1872 when a group of over zealous Kukas attacked and occupied Malerkotla. The British captured them and executed dozens of kukas by hanging or being shot out of cannons. Baba Ram Singh disavowed those members and was exiled to Rangoon, Burma where he died a few years later. Followers of the Namdhari sect are easily identifiable by the white hand spun clothes they wear and their distinctive style of tying the turban.

Source: Redacted from https://www.gktoday.in/gk/kuka-movement-1872/

Fun Fact: This was a very curious issue. It commemorates 1867-2007 although the movement was founded well before that and moreover, the coin was only issued in 2012 well after announcing it as a commemorative coin in 2007. At the time, speculation was rife whether the coin would still be minted in ferritic steel and similarly designed as the Bhagat Singh issue. While both were eventually issued after much delay, it was finally decided that the coin would be designed in line with contemporary issues in Ni-Bs

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KOMAGATA MARU INCIDENT 2014 (Rs5, Rs100)

This coin commemorates a rather obscure event from a contemporary Indian historical perspective. It was commonplace during the early 1900s that while countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand welcomed immigrants, they also pursued a thinly veiled policy that specifically excluded people of non-european/white descent.

In January 1914, Gurdit Singh Sandhu, a member of the Ghadar Party (founded abroad by the diaspora for the independence of India), chartered a Japanese ship, the Komagata Maru that would ferry prospective Indian immigrants from Calcutta to Vancouver (Canada) via Hong Kong, thereby publicly challenging the immigration policies of the British Dominions. After some delay, the ship arrived in Vancouver in May 1914, but was prohibited from docking in the harbour. Informants to Canadian and British intelligence agencies had warned that members of the Ghadar Party in Vancouver and on the ship intended to make a public spectacle of the event and deemed them a threat to Canadian security and a nationalist threat to the British Empire in India. The Canadian govt eventually allowed 24 of the 376 passengers (mostly sikh) to disembark and forced the ship to head back to India. As the ship entered Calcutta's port in September that year, police were on hand to arrest all on board. As they attempted to take Gurdit Singh Sandhu into custody, a riot erupted on board, ending with the shooting of 19 passengers and the imprisonment of the rest. Sandhu initially escaped, but later gave himself up after being prodded by Mahatma Gandhi.

Minor memorials exist in Calcutta that commemorate the event, but have largely been forgotten in India as people were more concerned with pressing matters at home. The event has held larger significance in Canada in terms of self-reflection and noting how the country has moved on since. Much as with apologies to the chinese community for past wrong-doings, Canadian govts under Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau have publicly apologised for the handling and racist attitudes in this incident as well.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komagata_Maru_incident

Fun Fact: First time a Steam ship (or any watercraft) has been depicted on a Rep. India coin

Canadian stamp Commemorating the Komagata Maru incident

BEGUM AKHTAR CENTENARY 2014 (Rs5, Rs100)

Born in 1914 in Faizabad UP, Akhtari Bai Faizabadi began her musical journey when she was 7yrs old under the tutelage of various classical maestros such as Ustad Jhande Khan. She made her first public performance at age 15 in aid of victims of the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake where she gathered fame and appreciation from artistic stalwarts including the poet Sarojini Naidu. By the 1930's in the era of Talking Movies, she leveraged her good looks and talented voice to establish a career as an actress, with movies such as Ek Din ka Raja (King for a Day) and Roti (Bread) bringing her critical acclaim. However, over time she gave up life in cinema opting instead to focus on perfecting her art as a classical musician and singer. She quickly acquired a large following for her ghazals, dadra and thumri genres of Hindustani classical music earning the nickname Mallika-e-Ghazal (Queen of Ghazal) among her peers. In 1945, she married a Lucknow based Barrister, taking on the name Begum Akhtar and withdrew from the limelight for a while. However, her mental and physical state deteriorated and she was encouraged to restart her music career as a remedy to her malaise, becoming a regular singer on All India Radio and participating in various concerts. Her voice matured as she aged, yet her audiences only grew more enamoured with her talent and evolving vocals. In 1974, during a performance in Trivandrum, Kerala, she strained her voice which led to medical complications later on. She died in Oct that year in Ahmedabad soon after her last public performance there.
She has received numerous awards over her lifetime such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for vocal music, the Padma Shri and later the Padma Bhushan.

Redacted from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begum_Akhtar
Youtube Best of Begum Akhtar Ghazals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yDhq4PMD4s

Fun Fact: First coin to feature a Muslim woman on modern Indian coinage

Begum Akhtar in Roti, 1942

Thank goodness India don't put out as many as Canada, or writing a blurb for each one would be a full time job!

CENTENARY OF ACHARYA TULSI (Rs5, Rs20)

Born in Oct 1914 in Rajasthan, Tulsi was exposed to religious doctrine from a very young age when he was initiated into the Svetambar Terapanth Sangh at age 11 under the guidance of Acharya Kalugani, the 8th Acharya. By the late 1940s, Tulsi went on to become the 9th Acharya, providing spiritual guidance to more than 776 monks and nuns over his lifetime. He quickly established the Parmarthik Shikshan Sanstha, a spiritual training centre for females aspirants who wanted to lead the Jain monastic lifestyle as well as launched the Anuvrat Movement (anu = small, vrat=vow, Anuvratas being limited versions of the Mahavratas for monks), based on the five Jain principles Truth, Nonviolence, Non possession, non-stealing and celibacy. In the 1970s, Tulsi began researching, compiling translations and commentaries on the Jain Agamas and sought to rediscover Jain meditation. By 1980, he began preaching Jain philosophies abroad through the Saman Order. The order allows monks and nuns to use mechanical transportation which is otherwise prohibited in general. Between 1949 and 1987, in line with Jain tradition, he walked more than 70,000km preaching to the public across India. The Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, an education and research institute was established in 1991 with backing from Acharya Tulsi. Throughout his leadership, he worked towards bringing understanding and cooperation between the various Jain sects. His efforts at spiritual renewal in society were recognised through numerous awards such as the the Indira Gandhi award for National Integration 1993, the title of Yug Pradhan in 1971 by President VV Giri, the Bharat Jyoti Award etc

Redacted from wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsi_(Jain_monk)
The Anuvrat Movement: http://www.anuvratnyas.org/anuvrat-pravartaka.aspx

Fun Fact: Two lion varieties exist for this coin

175th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY of JAMSETJI N TATA 2014 (Rs5, Rs100)

Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata was born in 1839 in Navsari, which was then part of the Princely State of Baroda. He graduated from the Elphinstone College in Bombay in 1858 and immediately joined his father's trading business which would require him to travel to the US, UK, Europe and the Far East to set up branches of his father's company. From 1868, he set out on his own by buying up formerly bankrupt or moribund mills in various parts of India and growing his own business interests in various sectors. During his lifetime, he is known to have had stated business goals including setting up the first Indian-owned luxury hotel in India, an iron and steel company, a university and a power generating plant. He would only live to see one of these projects realised with the completion of the Taj Hotel in Mumbai in 1903, a year before his death. JN Tata has been interred in the Parsi Cemetery at Woking UK after dying from a sudden but severe illness while on business in Bad Nauheim, Germany. His successors would honour his legacy by eventually setting up the Tata Steel Company (now the world's 5th largest) at a newly created town, Jamshedpur, named in his honour in present day Jharkhand, the Tata Power Company (currently India's largest private electricity company) and The Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore (one of the country's pre-eminent learning and research institutions for engineering and applied science). His sons, Dorabji and Ratanji, would go on to build his company into one of India's largest conglomerates - The Tata Group. The aggregated market capitalisation of publicly Listed Tata Companies as of March 2018 is valued at US$145B comprising nearly 7% of the Bombay Stock Exchange's total value. The Group is worth far more (but unknown due to complex corporate holding setups) when it's privately held companies, minority shareholdings in other companies and Land holdings in India and globally are taken into consideration.

Some, but not an exhaustive list, of major business interests of the Tata Group (including w/o the Tata Brand name)
TATA AIG, joint venture with Insurance
Tata Chemicals (including Tata Salt)
Tata Consultancy Services, among the worlds largest outsourcing companies
Tata DoCoMo, joint venture with NTT DoCoMo
Tata Global Beverages, holding company of Tetley tea
Tata Housing Development Company, Real Estate
Tata Motors, includes Jaguar and land Rover
Tata Power
Tata Sky, one of the largest DTH TV providers in India
Tata Starbucks, joint venture with Starbucks
Tata Steel, includes the former Corus Group
Air Asia India, joint venture with Air Asia
Vistara, joint venture with Singapore airlines
Infiniti Retail Croma, large electronics stores across India
Taj Hotels and Palaces under the IHCL brand
Tanishq, one of the largest jewellery brands in India
Titan Industries, watchmaking venture
Trent, couturier retailing

*Tata started the first Indian-owned airlines before independence but was later forced to sell it under the independent India's nationalisation programme in which the company was re-branded as Air India

Some of the prestigious Institutions established by the Tata Group include:
Indian Institute of Science
National Centre for Performing Arts
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Tata Instititute of Social Sciences
Tata Management Training Centre
Tata Memorial Hospital

Redacted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamsetji_Tata
Market Capitalisation http://www.tata.com/htm/Market-capitalisation-of-Tata-companies.htm

DIAMOND JUBILEE OF COIR BOARD 1953-2013 (Rs10, Rs60)

The Coir Board, based out of Kochi and Alappuzha in Kerala state, is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Coir Industry Act 1953 for the promotion and development of the coir (coconut fibre) industry in India. The coir industry is one of India's traditional industries with the boardhaving regional offices in different parts of India with significant industry presence. The board works for the promotion, research, education, and training within the industry and functions under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The coir industry employs more than 700K people, a majority of whom are from rural areas and typically from economically weaker sections of society. Typical products include coconut by-products, coir fibre, coir mats, mattresses & rugs, gardening products etc

Redacted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coir_Board_of_India
The Coir Board of India: http://coirboard.gov.in/?page_id=6

Room filled with coir-based household items

150TH ANNIVERSARY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA 2013 (Rs5, Rs150)

Born as Narendranath Datta in January 1863 in Calcutta, Swami Vivekananda (meaning Joy of Wisdom) took on the name following his monastic vows in 1886. He was highly influenced by his mentor Ramkrishna whom he met in 1884 and the Brahmo Samaj which advocated Hindu Vedantic philosophy. As is typical among Hindu monks, during 1886-1892, Vivekananda wandered through much of India, meeting and interacting with a wide section of secular and religious people, imparting his philosophy while adding to his own. He gained particular international acclaim following his speech to the World Religions Parliament that took place in Chicago in 1893. He attracted many followers worldwide allowing him to set up Vedanta Institutions in the US and India. He went on to lecture internationally with the intention of explaining the esoteric and transcendental concepts of Hinduism in a modern setting besides increasingly touching on issues pertaining to colonialism and Indian independence.

Vivekananda summarised Vedanta as follows:
"Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or mental discipline, or philosophy—by one, or more, or all of these—and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details"

He died while in meditation at the Belur Math in July 1902 (most likely caused by ruptured blood vessel in the brain). He was cremated next to the same spot as Ramkrishna was 16 years earlier. Vivekananda left a lasting impression on matters pertaining to spirituality in modern India, influencing many leaders of India's Independence movement. The Ramkrishna mission which he set up at the turn of the 19th century has spread across India with temples and charitable arms still serving communities across India today. His birthday, 12th January, is celebrated as National Youth Day in India

Redacted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda

125TH ANNIVERSARY OF MAULANA ABUL KALAM AZAD 2014 (Rs5, Rs20)

Born in Mecca in 1888 and then moving back with is family to Calcutta in 1890, Sayyid Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini grew up with an education more suited for clerical life, but instead gravitated towards journalism, activism and eventually politics. As a young man during the early 20th century, he had come into contact with many revolutionary leaders of the time and set up several Urdu Journals including Al-Hilal and Al-Balagh that were stridently nationalistic. He often wrote under the pen name "Azad" meaning free and thanks to his role in helping set up the Jamia Millia Islamia in Aligarh, UP (and then shifting its Campus to Delhi), he also was given the popular honorific "Maulana" meaning "Our Master". As WW1 was winding down and the Ottoman Sultan was in jeopardy of losing his power, Azad joined the Khilafat movement which sought to protect the Sultan in his capacity as Caliph to Muslims worldwide. With the Congress under Gandhi lending support to the movement, Kalam became close friends with Gandhi as well as Nehru, Bose, Chittaranjan Das and others. He would himself go on to join the Congress and serve as its youngest President in 1923. As a pivotal leader within the Congress, he lead various movements such as the Quit India, Non-Cooperation, Dandi March and Flag Satyagraha among others. Along with much of the Congress leadership, he was often imprisoned for his role in organising and leading protest rallies. Even with the rise of the Muslim league, he firmly held to the Congress' belief in Hindu-Muslim Unity and as such vocally denounced Jinnah and the two-nation theory. He played a major role in the days leading to and after partition in calming mobs and reassuring Muslims of their place in the new Republic of India. He would go on to become India's first Minister of Education and was instrumental in setting up various institutions such as the Universities Grants Commission and the Indian Institutes of Technology. His birthday, 11th November is commemorated as National Education Day in India

Fun Fact: First Muslim to be commemorated on an Indian coin since independence
Redacted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abul_Kalam_Azad


Kalam 2nd from Left

150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY LALA LAJPAT RAI 2015 (Rs10, Rs150)

Lala Lajpat Rai was born in 1865 in present-day Indian Punjab. He started his career as a journalist and Lawyer which brought him in close contact with Indian revolutionaries and freedom fighters such as Lala Hans Raj and Pandit Guru Dutt. While he initially skirted with Hindu nationalism through the Hindu Mahasabha, Rai eventually joined the mainstream Indian National Congress, setting up the Hissar Branch of the movement. He even went on to serve as President during the Calcutta session of 1920. His activities to advance the cause of Indian nationalism were varied and he was involved in setting up several organisations such as the various branches of the Arya Samaj, the Dayananda Anglo-Vedic School in Lahore, the Indian Home Rule league in New York, the Gulab Devi Hospital Karachi, Lakshmi Insurance Company as well as the Servants of the People Society. Like much of the Congress Leadership at the time, Rai was often subjected to imprisonment and on one occasion was exiled to Mandalay, Burma. While he disagreed with his fellow congressmen and advocated for separate electorates for Muslims, he led major agitations in Punjab against the Simon Mission. He was assaulted and badly beaten during one such protest by the police sustaining blows inflicted directly by the Superintendent James A. Scott. Rai never quite recovered from his injuries and eventually died of a heart attack a few days later. While an inquiry in the British Parliament absolved the police of any role in his death, the episode inspired future revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekar Azad to plot revenge on the officers. Lala Lajpat Rai is still regarded as one of the preeminent leaders of the Independence movement with several institutions and monuments dedicated to his memory in Punjab, Haryana and elsewhere in India

Redacted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lala_Lajpat_Rai

200TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF TATYA TOPE 2015 (Rs10, Rs200)

Tantia Tope, also spelled Tatya Tope or Tantia Topi, original name Ramchandra Panduranga, (born c. 1813–19, Pune, India—died April 18, 1859, Shivpuri), a leader of the Indian Mutiny of 1857–58. Although he had no formal military training, he was probably the best and most effective of the rebels’ generals.
Tantia Tope was a Maratha Brahman in the service of the former peshwa (ruler) of the Maratha confederacy, Baji Rao, and of his adopted son Nana Sahib, who was also prominent in the mutiny. He was present at Nana Sahib’s massacre of the British colony in Kanpur; in early November 1857 he had taken command of the rebel forces of the state of Gwalior and driven Gen. C.A. Windham into his entrenchments at Kanpur on November 27–28. Tantia Tope was defeated by Sir Colin Campbell (later Baron Clyde) on December 6 but remained at Kalpi, the scene of his defeat. In March 1858 he moved to the relief of Jhansi, whose rani (queen) Lakshmi Bai was besieged by British forces. Again defeated, he welcomed the escaping rani at Kalpi and then made a successful dash to Gwalior on June 1. His forces were broken up on June 19, but he continued resistance as a guerrilla fighter in the jungle until he was betrayed the following April. He was tried and executed at Shivpuri.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tantia-Tope

Fun Fact: First Rs200 coin issued. Second time that Tatya Tope appears on a coin, the first time on Rs5 and Rs 100 rupee coins commemorating the 150th anniversary of the First War of Independence 2007


A captured Tatya Tope just before his execution

DR. S RADHAKRISHNAN: 125TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 2015 (Rs10, Rs125)

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (5 September 1888 – 17 April 1975) was an Indian philosopher and statesman who served as the first Vice President of India (1952–1962) and the second President of India (1962-1967). One of India's most distinguished scholars of comparative religion and philosophy, after completing his education at Madras Christian College in 1911, he became Assistant Professor and later Professor of Philosophy at Madras Presidency College then subsequently Professor of Philosophy at the University of Mysore (1918-1921); the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta (1921–1932) and Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford(1936–1952) by which he became the first Indian to hold a professorial chair at the University of Oxford. He was Upton Lecturer at Manchester College, Oxford in 1926, 1929, and 1930. In 1930 he was appointed Haskell lecturer in Comparative Religion at the University of Chicago. His philosophy was grounded in Advaita Vedanta, reinterpreting this tradition for a contemporary understanding. Radhakrishnan earned several awards during his life, including a knighthood in 1931, the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 1954, and honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. He was also one of the founders of Helpage India, a non profit organisation for underprivileged elderly in India. On his request and since 1962, his birthday has been celebrated in India as Teachers' Day on 5 September.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarvepalli_Radhakrishnan

RANI GAIDINLIU: BIRTH CENTENARY 2015 (Rs5, Rs100)

Gaidinliu (26 January 1915 – 17 February 1993) was a Rongmei Naga spiritual and political leader who led revolts against British rule in north-east India. At the age of 13, she joined the Heraka (local animist) religious movement of her cousin Haipou Jadonang. The movement later turned towards politics in seeking to drive out the British from Manipur and the surrounding Naga hills areas. Within the Heraka faith, she came to be considered an incarnation of the Goddess Cherachamdinliu. Gaidinliu was arrested in 1932 at the age of 16 after calling for people to resist paying taxes to the British and briefly leading a guerrilla campaign in the areas of present day Manipur, Assam and Nagaland. She was sentenced to life imprisonment by the British authorities on charges that she was (in)directly responsible for the murders of members of the Assam regiment of the British Indian army. Jawaharlal Nehru met her at Shillong Jail in 1937, and promised to pursue her release. He gave her the title of "Rani" ("Queen"), and she gained local popularity as Rani Gaidinliu. She was released in 1947 after India's independence under Nehru's orders, and continued to work for the upliftment of her people. As an advocate of ancestral Naga animist practices, she pitted herself against proponents of christian and baptist movements who were mostly successful in converting much of the Nagas to Christianity by the 1960s. She went underground for several years during the 1960s due to conflicts with Naga insurgent groups but eventually came out of hiding to press for peace brokered under the Union govt. She has been honoured as a freedom fighter and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1982.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rani_Gaidinliu

BIRTH CENTENARY OF SWAMI CHINMAYANAND 2015 (Rs10, Rs100)

Born as Balakrishnan Menon in 1916 in present day Kerala State, Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati was a Hindu spiritual teacher who inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide nonprofit organisation, to spread the knowledge of Advaita Vedanta. His career early on took him into journalism with a stint at the National Herald and to some involvement in the Quit India movement during with he spent time in prison. It was while working as a journalist that he traveled to Sivananda's ashram in Rishikesh to write an exposé of the sadhus. There, at the age of 31, he went from being a sceptic to an enthusiast, renouncing his previous lifestyle to become a monk and began reading more about Hindu scriptures and reviewing spiritual books.He went on to deliver sermons at temples and with growing popularity, began lecturing in other venues and forums, both domestic and internationally as well. Along with the RSS, he is also one of the founding fathers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (an organisation today associated with Hindu right-wing and often violent activities). His legacy has helped establish several religious and charitable organisations through the Chinmaya Mission.

Redacted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinmayananda_Saraswati

GOLDEN JUBILEE OF BHEL 2015 (Rs5, Rs50)

One of the greatest challenges facing India in 1947 was to provide a strong base in infrastructure and capital goods for economic and industrial development. The Government under Nehru's leadership recognized that adequate supply of electric power was a precondition for long term industrial growth. This could be sustained only with a strong domestic power equipment industry. As a result, the Government of India signed an agreement on 17th November, 1955, with Associated Electrical Industries (AEI), UK, for the establishment of a factory at Bhopal complete in all respects for the manufacture of heavy electrical equipment in India. The public sector company was registered as Heavy Electricals (India) Limited (HE(I)L). Over time, a decision was taken by the Government to set up three more plants for the manufacture of heavy electrical equipment. The first one was at Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) for high pressure boilers, the second one at Hyderabad (Telangana) for steam turbo generators and high pressure pumps and compressors - both of these with collaboration from Czechoslovakia and the third plant at Haridwar (Uttarakhand) with erstwhile USSR collaboration for large steam turbo generating sets and motors and also hydro generating sets including turbines and generators. These three newly conceived projects were part of Heavy Electricals (India) Limited for which the work was initiated at Bhopal. All the initial preparatory work was carried out from Bhopal till November 1964. Government decided to create a separate corporation for setting-up and managing these three units. Thus Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited was born and formally incorporated on 13th November, 1964. In 1991, BHEL was converted into a public limited company. Over time, it developed the capability to produce a variety of electrical, electronic and mechanical equipments for all sectors, including transmission, transportation, oil and gas and other allied industries. However, the bulk of its revenue is derived from sale of equipment for power generation such as turbines, boilers, etc. As of 2017, BHEL supplied equipment contributed to about 55% of the total installed power generation capacity of India. The company has also supplied thousands of Electric Locomotives to Indian Railway, as well as defence equipment such as the Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) naval guns and Defence Simulators to the Indian Armed Forces. The company has a network of 17 manufacturing units, along with other repair and service units allowing it to execute more than 150 projects at sites across India and abroad. BHEL has retained its market leadership position during 2015-16 with 74% market share in the Power Sector. BHEL's investment in R&D is amongst the largest in the corporate sector in India and is is one of only four Indian companies and the only Indian Public Sector Enterprise figuring in 'The Global Innovation 1000' of Booz & Co., a list of 1,000 publicly traded companies which are the biggest spenders on R&D in the world

Redacted from: http://www.bhel.com/index.php/history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat_Heavy_Electricals_Limited

GOLDEN JUBILEE OF 1965 OPERATIONS 2015 (Rs5, Rs50)

28 Aug 1965,the day India captured Haji Pir Pass, now in POK was the turning point in the Indo-Pak War of 1965 and is considered as victory day, though the war ended,with UN mandated ceasefire on 23 Sep. It was the second war fought between India and Pakistan and saw an unprecedented engagement of troops in the disputed regions.
The first inklings of the war began with the dispute over the Rann of Kutch sandwiched between present day Gujarat (India) and Sindh (Pakistan). In April, 1965, intermittent attacks and skirmishes broke out between the two nations as Pakistan attempted to annex the territory originally controlled by India. In June 1965, there was a ceasefire and subsequently a tribunal, following the intervention of Britain. The success of Pakistan in this skirmish, followed by a favourable ruling by the tribunal coupled with disastrous losses faced by India in the 1962 Indo-Sino War and the weak political situation following Nehru's death, convinced the Pakistani military junta that they could successfully launch a campaign to capture the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The spark of the 1965 War was a clandestine infiltration operation launched by Pakistan in August. Operation Gibraltar was a strategy to infiltrate J&K and incite a rebellion against Indian rule. The operation, however, was unsuccessful and Indian troops retaliated by launching a full-scale attack on Pakistan on August 15th. Initially, the conflict was confined to the regions of Kashmir and Punjab. By the end of August, both countries seemed to have equal footing with Pakistan controlling the regions of Tithwal, Uri and Poonch and Indian recapturing Haji Pir Pass.
Following this was an air battle in the state of Punjab. On 1st September, Pakistan launched Operation Grand Slam, following which, the Battle of Chamb was fought, marking a huge success for Pakistan in Akhnoor. On September 6th, Indian troops crossed the International Border on the West, marking the official start of the war. The attack followed a three prong invasion by Indian troops towards the city of Lahore.
The Indian forces pushed an offensive towards Sialkot leading to the Battle of Chawinda, while the Pakistani forces pushed towards Khem Karan. The famed Battle of Asal Uttar in the Indian town of Khem Karan, fought between the 8th and the 10th of September, is regarded as the greatest tank battle since WW2. This battle was a turning point of the war and proved a win for India. Hostilities in Rajasthan commenced on the 8th resulting in the capture of the fort Kishangarh by the Pakistan forces.
The battle eventually ended in a standstill. The Soviet Union and the US grew wary of the rising conflict and pressured the countries to sign a ceasefire. With the heavy casualties and declining ammunition along with international pressure, the former Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri and the President of Pakistan Ayub Khan, signed the Tashkent Agreement. The five week war ended on the 23rd of September.
Many argue that the war was a loss to both sides. Though it started as an ambition for geographic conquest, neither side gained from the brutal war. The small achievements in the gain was easily overshadowed by the loss incurred. India witnessed casualties of about 3000 soldiers, 150 tanks, and nearly 70 aircrafts.

Note - I like this byline so much, I had to include it here: This war is commemorated in India, not for victory of the nation, but for the bravery of its soldiers. India's courageous troops stood before the enemy without fear as they looked into the face of death without turning back. They feared not for their lives but for the honour of their country. They held the flag high even in the most treacherous peaks, and mounted on tanks unafraid shouting their war cries as they fell for their motherland. Even as they are gone, their legacy remains in the most supreme form of patriotism. Time may pass, but they will live forever in every Indian's heart.

Fun Fact: First Indian coin to have an inner polygon rim

Read more here: https://www.honourpoint.in/indo-pak-war-1965/


Soldiers of the 4th Sikh Regiment captured a police station on the outskirts of Lahore


Indian Soldier stands in front of a destroyed Sherman tank of the Pak Army

Coming up - CENTENARY OF GANDHI'S RETURN FROM SOUTH AFRICA 2015 (Rs10, Rs100)

Thanks for this interesting  and informative post 😀