We all have been eagerly waiting for the Rupee Symbol to be finalized. It was supposed to happen in last week of June, but for some reason the Rupee symbol has not been finalized out of the 5 shortlisted ones.
However, there is a Shocking story behind how the 5 symbols were shortlisted, which was revealed after an RTI application was filed by Mr. Rakesh Kumar Singh. He left a comment on one of our earlier posts giving details of the same. The RTI Application is in Hindi (given below)
Here is the first shocker – There were total of 3331 entries that came in from the design competition announced by Indian Government. The jurors took only 17 hours to go through all the 3331 designs, which means roughly 18 seconds per design were given.
The 5 shortlisted symbols are not bad, but they are not good enough when you consider that over 3300 designs were received.
Here is another thing, the person, Ms. Nondita Correa-Mehrotra, who had given the suggestion to go in for this competition is one of the 5 rupee symbol shortlisted candidates.
The RTI query also clearly shows that the procedure was not at all transparent – It was not video-graphed, which now-a-days is a norm for all such government decisions. Additionally, whole jury was not present during the rupee symbol presentations.
It is really a shame that our Government Babu’s have made shambles of such a symbolic & prestigious task.
The RTI filing reply as given by Mr. Rakesh Kumar Singh (Hindi) – You can also go to save Indian Rupee Symbol for more details
[…] a unique currency symbol of their own. Although, we have a new symbol now, the process in which rupee symbol was finalized has been quite shocking and without any […]
Good Effort by Petitioner/RTI Activist. Thank you.
Delhi High court allows RTI activist Mr. Rakesh Kumar Singh to file PIL against “Indian Rupee symbol selection process”.
Mr. Rakesh Kumar Singh had submitted a LPA petition in the Delhi High Court challenging Delhi HC earlier judgment in which court had refused to entertain his petition challenging selection process of New Indian Rupee Symbol.
After hearing the LPA, Hon’ble Chief Justice and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjiv Khanna of Delhi High Court in their judgment said “We learned senior counsel appearing for the appellant submitted that he may be permitted to withdraw the appeal as he really does not have the grievance solely because the symbol has not been accepted but he intends to challenge the procedural aspects which are adopted by the Union of India at various levels relating to such kind of works which affect various provisions of the Official Languages Act and many other provisions of various statutes as well as Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
If we understand the submission of Mr. Sawhney in a proper perspective, he wants to file a petition in the larger public interest.
In view of the aforesaid, we are inclined to permit the withdrawal of the appeal with liberty to file a Public Interest Litigation with the appropriate pleadings and data which are necessary to sustain a Public Interest Litigation.”
LPA 310/2011
http://www.saveindianrupeesymbol.org/
Selected symbol by Government is mix devnalgri and Roman script it is clear Violation of article 351 the constitution of india. 2nd violation-Guideline of indian rupee symbol compt. “The symbol has to be in the Indian National Language script or a visual representation.””
The article 351 constitution of india.
” Directive for development of the Hindi language It shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language, to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering with its genius, the forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary, primarily on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages PART XVIII EMERGENCY PROVISIONS”
Total 22 Languages of India at prjent time.
http://languages.iloveindia.com/
Why Cabinet approved and Why 7 jury member recmonded? Why silent languages exparts and Legal exparts???????????????????? Media?????? Oh I am sorry no TRP matter.
Why rupee symbol introduced so late in India, if we see to the countries like America and England they have it from many years?
it is shocking to know the jury have not read the design brief prepared by designers. It is not always possible to understand a design by just looking at it. Designers intentions cannot be clear unless you read his explanations.
jury did not meet for more than 6 months after contest closing date of Apr 15th 2009. I was under the impression they are scrutinizing all the designs meticulously. these cheats met just for 2 days to finalize the design. i’m sure it was just for formality. they had already shortlisted influential people’s designs. it was only a question who is most influential to get finally selected. And again they took 6 more months to annouce the final winner. Why?
The contest guidelines said design should be in National language but they accepted Roman script. I’m not against roman scipt but this left us confused and there was no one from ministry to clear our doubts.
they definetely did not do justice to designer’s work by just spending 18 seocnds on an average.
jury should be dragged to court. thert should be a high level enquiry and government should be forced to withhold this decision until matter is settled in court.
You are absolutely right Mr.Suraj.
What the useless jury has done is, that, they are really not in the interest of the nations prestige.But, they simply decided instantly.
How shame it is really.How many these kind of cheap and mindless decesions of Indian public’s future related issues are going to taken placee in future.
I really pity about our India’s fate.
Shaik Abdul Samad,.
THE STATESMAN NEWS
Ru pee symbol maker has DMK background Chennai, 16 July: The man who designed the award winning insignia for the rupees actually hails from a family attached to the DMK, a party actually known for its pro-Tamil tilt or anti-Hindi agitation in the 60s and 70s.
Mr D Udaya kumar, presently working as assistant professor in IIT-Guwahati, and who came up with the design is the son of Mr N Dharmalingam, a former DMK MLA, who is a native of Marur in Villupuram district in North Tamil Nadu.
The family presently stays in Thondiarpet in North Chennai where Udaya Kumar grew up. Kumar had earlier passed out of Chennai’s Anna University with a top rank in architecture and has always been known for his bent on art.
The insignia he designed is a combination of Devanagiri script and Roman letter “R” combining both Rupee and rupiya as pronounced in present Hindi.
READ FULL NEWS..
http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=334878&catid=36&Itemid=66
‘My son has brought glory to TN’
CHENNAI: With every other report hailing an IIT-Bombay alumnus for designing the insignia of the Indian rupee, Jayalakshmi of Tondiarpet was feeling more and more cross. “They keep saying Bombay-based boy and destroy the glory that my son has brought to Tamil Nadu,” she rued. “They even misspell his name as ‘Uday’. It’s terrible!”
IIT-Bombay might be D Udaya Kumar’s biggest calling card, but the fact that the 32-year-old design genius was born in Marur near Tiruvannamalai and raised in North Chennai is indisputable
Read full news……
http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/my-son-has-brought-glory-to-tn/190141.html
Does anyone know whether there’s any website that displays all or at least the last 5 finalists for this competition? more logos the better.
Didn’t anyone of you notice… the final symbol so selected is not among the five short-listed!!!
This is shocking!!! Didnt know this at all..So the selected logo wasnt even in the first 5 which were shortlisted??
How the selected logo did not appear in the five shortlisted logos and shown on this website?
This is called politics….
you guys are morons with quiet a selfish and narrow approach….guys now that it has been decided and finalised…dont be F hindrance with your country moving ahead…i know its a big exaggerated with the development platform n shi* coz of the symbol but standardised symbol definitely helps and common i saw many designs..goddammit you guys are quiet far fetched….give it a break from being hypocrites of saying everything runs late in your country…wth are guys doing abt it…revolting on the net thats it…f cowards…v select the leaders, they dont fall from heaven…revolt when its time to choose a leader who represents you in all your decision…make the rght choice… propagate for them…voice ur opinion then…and not make a huge hue and cry now…! idiots..! then you want the comforts of your home..!
hell i was seeing the video of the announcement on NDTV…and this loser actually asked if it would be acceptable in kannada and tamil…how does it represent them…go on and survive as a new country i.e. IF U CAN…..why the hell do they think they are the best judge…!
regards,
A PROUD INDIAN
It might take more than a year for the new symbol to come into use http://bit.ly/ddGh2P
The selected symbol is not from these five. Not sure where these five surfaced as shortlisted ones. But the final selection is definitely better than any of these.
Final one select today by cabinet. AsK To media Smt Ambika Sone
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/iit-graduate-gives-indian-rupee-its-symbol-37536
JAY JAY JAY ho
Some RTI paist in this Blog dated 15-07-20010
http://www.saveindianrupeesymbol.org/
But Government action, to day Cabinet
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/IIT-post-graduate-gives-Rupee-its-symbol/646761
So bad.. what else do you expect those BABU’s to do. This comes as a real shock i tell you. Can’t some action can be taken against the penalists??
This news shocked me most the only 20 sec. were given on my design which i produced in 15 days (12,96,000 sec. approximately). I dedicate my precious 15 days & Rs. 500 cash for the symbol of Rs. as the reward of this dedication government just give 20 sec. on my work. For all the reader i would like to introduce myself as one of the candidate of this contest. I was disappointed when i heard that my design was not in final 5, but the way of Govt. to choose the finalist is very shameful & most disappointing. This act generates disloyalty in public against competitions conducted by Government. Government received more than Rs. 16.5 lacs from the candidates (Rs. 500 per entry) as the participation fee.
Truly its shocking to know all about. Request all like minded agile citizens to come forward and ask – what is unanswerd and why?
We too participated in the competition and sent two entries along with demand draft of Rs 1000/- (500 for each). Information received under RTI by Rakesh Singh left us shocking. To us, it looks like a money making scheme. There was no transparency and short listing was not done properly. In 18 seconds it is difficult to judge any creation. It would be prudent to put all the entries on the website and decision of the judges in favor of five selected entries. We are keen to know. Why our entries have been rejected. We did not receive any communication. The details asked along with the entries were quite cumbersome. Hope Govt will come clean on this prestigious issue.
Dear Lalit, i m also in the candidates list. this is time to get to-gather against this golmaal.
http://www.designtodayindia.com
[email protected]
m.: 09316171814
amritsar punjab
It is better to have a rupee symbol with keyboard support. All the five shortlisted symbols are not supporting keyboard.
Mr. Indiran—-None of the five SYMBOL are the actual short listed ones. Pl read five finalist comment…( Indian rupee to get a symbol soon) http://business.rediff.com/report/2010/jun/24/indian-rupee-to-get-a-symbol-today.htm
2- None of the five designs are the actual shortlisted ones. Media publish 5 symbol already present/publish in this Blog Dated 26 APRIL 2009. It is only Rumor Mr. Sanjeev Mishra Blog Dated 26th April 2009. Weblink…..
http://www.clickonf5.org/india/voting-currency-symbol-rupee-new-look/2075
3- Important Jury meeting held …..(By Under RTI Act 2005)
Que. 3-How many meetings when , where & each date of meeting, time taken for the meeting & average time of applicant design taken reg. Totat entries of evaluation ?
Ans. Meetings of Jury were held on 29/30 September, 2009 in Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi and on 16th November, 2009 in Reserve Bank of India, New Delhi for evaluation of entries. The meetings on 29th and 30th September were from 10.00AM to 5.00PM and the meeting meeting on 16th November was from 2.00 PM to 5.00PM
Note. presentation of Final Five Dated 15-12-2009 RBI, New Delhi.
Final Five name announce/upload before presentation (Fin Min) Dated 08-12-2009
http://finmin.nic.in/the_ministry/dept_eco_affairs/infrastructure_div/message_symbol_final.asp
4- I request to all Pl close are full stop the RUMOR (Fever of national interest)
Please Pay attention towards this also..(UIDAI, LOGO Compt.)
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/1140/20100520071119.jpg
http://uidai.gov.in/
http://uidai.gov.in/tenders/Final%20Logo.pdf
http://uid.gov.in/documents/uid_logo.pdf
Gentlemen, Its going to take another year – at the least for them to finalize. Not all is lost :)
I have this eerie feeling that like what was said by commentor #2, a good chunk of the “designs” have been stuff which is not unique in anyway. 3000 odd submissions dont mean much. Some of them i doubt needed more than a few seconds.
One simple way to do it would have been to scan them all and put them up online. Would be a good way – maybe they will do that once its all done.
So sad to hear that for taking such important decisions they are so hasty. This shouldn’t be done!
This is shocking and shameful at the same time. Being a designer I wouldnt be happy or even remotely satisfied using any of those symbols. Who were the damn candidates? Those dudes who rip designs from the internet and sell as self-work? Shouldn’t this go for a public poll? Atleast in cities like Mumbai,Pune,Delhi,Bangalore,Chennai and Kolkata.
Dear Editor,
Please back link my official website http://www.saveindianrupeesymbol.org so that more people can join us to save Indian rupee symbol.
Rakesh Kumar Singh