It refers to media-reports about Prime Minister having appreciated and forwarded to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) short-cut idea of issuing twenty-five rupees in order to overcome shortage of five-rupee coins. But any such idea will be contrary to metric spirit of measure which was introduced in the country about six decades back in the year 1957.
Instead, root cause of shortage of five-rupee coins should be analysed and hurdles removed for ensuring their supply in plenty. Only recently, there were reports of Union government re-issuing one-rupee notes of short-life again to overcome shortage of one-rupee coins.
Unfortunately, in our country stress is given more on short-term measures rather than long-term measures which in fact can be much more beneficial for the country. While eliminating coins of 10 paise and 25 paise, Union government should have abolished denomination of 50 paise coins as well, and new coins of one-rupee could be of size of earlier 10-paise coins. But since there was plenty stock of coin-blanks in sizes of earlier 50 paise and one rupee coins, new coins of rupee one and two were issued in sizes of earlier 50 paise and one rupee coins to confuse public.
Union government should drop idea of issuing notes of rupee one and twenty-five, and instead have coins of denominations in rupee one and five only even abolishing 2-rupee coins which are forced on public instead of their requirements for most wanted denominations of one and five. Size of one-rupee coin can be of size of earlier 10-paise coins in stainless steel, while five-rupee coins can be thicker but with same diameter in brass or copper so as to avoid misuse by melting.
Then huge amount of money can be saved on printing currency by reduction in sizes of notes which were last time reduced about half-a-century back in the year 1967.
