Why is the Mahatma Gandhi series special?

        The series of banknotes issued by the Reserve Bank of India that bears the portrait of Gandhiji is known as the Mahatma Gandhi series.

        Introduced in 1996, this series replaced all previous banknotes that were valid till then, and became our legal tender. The first notes to be printed in the Mahatma Gandhi series were in denominations of Rs 10 and Rs 500.

        There are many features for the series, including a security thread, optical fibre, and the intaglio print. The embedded security thread in the notes can be seen as a vertical line when held against light. They also have optical fibres that glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. The number panels, on the other hand, are printed with fluorescent ink.

        You can guess why these notes are equipped with such security elements- to prevent counterfeit. But many notes were duplicated. So, as the next step, the government has issued the Mahatma Gandhi new series replacing the older one, from November 2016. The first notes in this series are of the denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 2000.