Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday released a new series of coins which are friendly to the visually impaired.
The coins, in denomination of Rs 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 20, were released at a function at his residence here where blind children were invited.
Addressing the gathering, Modi said the "new circulation coins" with various differentiating features will greatly aid the visually impaired and that the government was sensitive to make every initiative "Divyang friendly".
An official release said that various new features had been incorporated in the new series of circulation coins to make them easier for the blind.
The size and weight of the coins increases from lower to higher denominations. The newly included coin of Rs 20 is 12-sided. The rest of the coins are round in shape.
According to a notification from the Finance Ministry, the new Rs 20 coin will be 27 millimeters and weigh 8.54 grams and will be made in copper, zinc and nickel. It will be 27mm (millimeters) and weigh 8.54 grams.
The front side of the coin will see inscription of the Lion Capitol from the Ashoka Pillar with ‘Satyamev Jayate’ below it. The left side of this symbol will have the word Bharat printed in Hindi and India in English will be printed on the left of the symbol. This will be for all the three new coins.
On the other side of the coin, the denominational value (20) will be printed. “Besides, it will have the rupee symbol above the denominational value, flanked by design of grains depicting the agricultural dominance of the country. At the bottom of the reverse side, Twenty Rupees in Hindi and English will be written,” an Economic Times report states.
The issuance of the Rs 20 coin comes 10 years after the first ten-rupee coin was issued in 2009.
(With IANS inputs)