Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Plans Introduction of Polymer Banknotes to Increase Shelf Life

Exam-focused facts from the 30 May 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is planning to introduce polymer banknotes for circulation through a pilot project to address rising currency demand and increase the shelf life of notes.
The expenditure on printing paper currency notes increased to ₹6,372.8 crore in the 2024-25 financial year (FY25) from ₹5,101.4 crore in the previous year.
A total of 23.8 billion pieces of soiled banknotes were disposed of in FY25, representing a 12.3 per cent increase from 21.24 billion pieces in the previous year.
Currency in Circulation (CiC) reached a record high of ₹42.86 trillion as of 15 May, growing by 11.5 per cent year-on-year.
The supply of coins rose to 1.5 billion in FY25, with the ₹5 denomination accounting for 800 million pieces and the ₹20 denomination for 400 million pieces.