Pune: Shubham Sudam Bidkar, a resident of Avasari Khurd village in Ambegaon taluka, has maintained a unique collection of Indian currency notes signed by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. This rare collection, started in Shubham's childhood, spans over 15 years and includes notes that are now out of circulation.
Dr. Manmohan Singh, who served as the Prime Minister of India, also held several other key positions, such as Union Finance Minister, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Notably, Dr. Singh was also the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), a role in which his signature appeared on Indian currency notes. Additionally, ₹1 notes, which feature the signature of the Finance Secretary instead of the RBI Governor, also bore his signature, as he held this position as well.
During Dr. Singh’s tenure, currency notes of denominations ₹1, ₹2, ₹5, ₹10, ₹20, ₹50, and ₹100 carried his signature. This distinction makes him the only RBI Governor whose signature was featured on all these denominations.
Shubham’s fascination began during his school days when, as a third-grader, he noticed a ₹10 note bearing Dr. Singh's signature. Inspired by this discovery, he started collecting notes ranging from ₹1 to ₹100, all signed by Dr. Singh. Today, Shubham works as a software engineer in the IT industry but continues to cherish and preserve this collection.
In an era dominated by digital transactions, Shubham’s dedication to preserving this rare collection is remarkable. Notably, ₹1 and ₹2 notes from that time have been withdrawn from circulation, making his collection even more significant. These notes serve as a tribute to Dr. Manmohan Singh’s pivotal contributions to India's economic development.
