The Reserve Bank of India on Monday clearly declared their dismissal on the reports of Mahatma Gandhi‘s picture being replaced with other prominent figures like Rabindranath Tagore and APJ Abdul Kalam on the existing currencies.

Many reports earlier claimed that the Union Finance Ministry and the RBI were considering replacing the images on the notes with other significant figures like RN Tagore and APJ Abdul Kalam on several denomination notes.

“There are reports in certain sections of the media that the Reserve Bank of India is considering changes to the existing currency and banknotes by replacing the face of Mahatma Gandhi with that of others. It may be noted that there is no such proposal in the Reserve Bank,” the statement read.

The first note with the face of Gandhi was released on the 100th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 1969, to commemorate him as the ‘Father of the Nation‘. Again in 1987, the first ₹500 note was printed with Gandhi’s picture on it. It was only in 1996, that all the existing Indian banknotes were replaced with the Gandhi series.