Who Designed the ₹ Symbol, and What Does Its Shape Mean?
You type it, see it on price tags and read it on every UPI payment screen.But do you know who designed the ₹ symbol?
D. Udaya Kumar. His design was approved by the Union Cabinet on 15 July 2010.
How Was It Chosen?
The government held a public competition for resident Indian citizens. According to the government's announcement, over 3,000 entries came in. A jury headed by the Deputy Governor of the RBI, with experts from three design institutes, evaluated them without knowing who had submitted which design. They shortlisted five, and the Cabinet approved Udaya Kumar's design.What Does the Shape Mean?
According to the RBI, the symbol resembles both the Devanagari letter "र" (ra) and the Latin capital letter "R", with a double horizontal line at the top.So one simple symbol carries both an Indian script and an international one.
Why Did India Need Its Own Symbol?
Before 2010, "Rs" was used, and it could be confused with other currencies. The government said the new symbol would better distinguish the Indian rupee from currencies also called rupee or rupiah, such as those of Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.The RBI says the symbol was added to banknotes and coins in 2011.
Quick Facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Designed by | D. Udaya Kumar |
| Approved by Cabinet | 15 July 2010 |
| Entries in the competition | Over 3,000 |
| Resembles | Devanagari "ra" and Latin "R" |
| On notes and coins | From 2011 |
Test Yourself
1. Who designed the Indian rupee symbol?(A) Raghuram Rajan (B) D. Udaya Kumar (C) Satish Gujral (D) Nandalal Bose
2. When did the Union Cabinet approve the ₹ symbol?
(A) 15 August 2009 (B) 26 January 2010 (C) 15 July 2010 (D) 1 April 2011
Answers:
1. (B) D. Udaya Kumar.
2. (C) 15 July 2010.
A small symbol.1. (B) D. Udaya Kumar.
2. (C) 15 July 2010.
A big piece of India's identity.
