Mukadma: Ek Sawal, Ek Shock
Jab aap apne jeb mein ₹1 coin le kar bazaar jaate hain, to aap shayad nahin sochte ki us chhoti si sikke ko paida karne mein sarkar kitna kharcha karti hai. Par sach yeh hai ke Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ke mutabiq — aur uske tahat minting ka kaam karne wali Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) ke records ke zariye jaane to — ₹1 sikke ka manufacturing cost uski face value se zyada hai.
Is article mein hum poori tafseel se samjhenge ke ye cost kis cheezon se banti hai, kyun badlti rehti hai, aur is se sarkar ko kya nuksan ya faida hota hai.
₹1 Coin Banana — Kya Kya Lagta Hai?
Sikka banane ka amal seedha nahin hai — ismein kayi qiston ka kharcha shaamil hota hai. Kuch aham cheezein jo ₹1 coin ki manufacturing ko mehengi banati hain, yeh hain:
- Raw Material (Dhaiya Dhatu): Aaj kal ₹1 coin ke liye use hone wali alloy hoti hai “ferritic stainless steel” — jo mukhya tor par iron, chromium, aur kabhi-kabhi nickel par mabni hoti hai. Is mixture me taqat, mazeed durability, aur coin ki lambi age ensure karne ke liye chunida metals istemal hote hain.
- Blank Tayyar Karna, Annealing, Striking (Stamping): Metal sheets ko blanks (chakke) me kaatna, phir un blanks ko anneal (garam karke thanda karna) karna, uske baad un par design aur likhai stamp karna — ye sab mechanical aur energy-intensive processes hain.
- Quality Check & Inspection: Coins release hone se pehle unki quality check hoti hai — size, weight, design, finish — sab verify hote hain. Agar koi coin specification se match nahin karta, to wo reject ho kar dubara process me jata hai.
- Packaging, Distribution, Aur Transport: Mint se nikal kar coins ko banks, treasuries, aur phir aam logon tak pahunchane tak lamba safar hai. Is mein packaging, transport, security, aur handling charges shamil hote hain.
- Labour, Electricity, Maintenance, Overheads: Mint machines chalane, maintenance karne, workforce (kaam karne walon) ko palkarne, aur mint premises chalane ka kharcha bhi hota hai. Machinery aur energy donon cheezein mehengi padti hain.
Sab mila kar, ek nominal dikhne wali ₹1 coin ki “slapdash” manufacturing nahin, balki kaafi detailed aur resource-intensive process hai.
₹1 Coin Ka Real Cost — Kitna?
Ab sawal yeh hai: asal mein, ₹1 coin banana sarkar ko kitna padta hai?
- 2018 me, ek RTI (Right to Information) ke jawab me RBI ne bataya tha ke average cost ₹1.11 hai — yaani 11 paise zyada jitni sikka ki value hai.
- Hal filhal ke reports ke mutabiq, jo range diya jaata hai woh ₹1.11 se le kar ₹1.28 tak hai.
- Kuch sources — agar metal ki cost ya distribution etc. badh jaaye — kehte hain ke kabhi kabhi overall cost ₹1.50 tak bhi ja sakta hai.
Yani ye bada common hai ke ₹1 sikka banana sarkar ke liye nuksan hai — har coin par ₹0.10–₹0.25 ya kabhi kabhi zyada bhi loss ho sakta hai.
Kyun Itna Zyada? — Cost Badalne Wale Factor
Agar simple si coin pe kuch rupaye zyada kharch ho rahe, to uske kaafi reasons hain — jo samajhna jaruri hai:
1. Metal Price Volatility
Global metal markets me iron, chromium, stainless steel alloy ki keemat bar bar badalti rehti hai. Agar raw material mahanga ho jaaye, to naturally per coin cost bhi barh jaati hai.
2. Energy Aur Operational Costs
Mint chalana electricity consume karta hai — machines, presses, annealing ovens — sab energy-intensive hain. Agar bijli mehngi ho ya fuel-electricity cost barh jaaye, to production cost pe seedha asar hota hai.
3. Labour, Maintenance Aur Overheads
Mint ko chalana hai — staff, maintenance, administrative expenses, security, quality control — in sab ka apna kharcha hai. Ye sab mil ke per-coin cost ko push karte hain.
4. Distribution aur Logistics
Coins ko mint se le kar banks, treasuries, phir phir se general public tak pohchana hota hai. Is safar me packaging, transport, security, handling charges shamil hote hain — aur agar distance zyada ho, to cost bhi zyada hogi.
5. Production Scale (Quantity)
Agar coins kam quantity me mint kiye ja rahe ho — ya demand kam ho — to fixed costs zyada per coin pad sakti hain. Agar mass production ho — hazaaron ya crore coins — to cost per coin thodi kam ho sakti hai. Isliye kabhi 1.11, kabhi 1.28, kabhi 1.50 bhi dekhne ko milta hai.
Sarkar Ke Liye Nuksan ya Seigniorage — Dono Taraf
Agar hum seedhi baat karein: har bar ₹1 coin banana sarkar ke liye profit nahi balki kharcha hai. Agar ₹1.25 per coin kharcha aaya, to sarkar ne us coin pe ₹0.25 lose kiya. Agar crores coins bane hon, to nuksan accha khasa ho sakta hai.
Lekin phir bhi, sarkar coin minting rokne ka faisla nahin karti. Kuch wajahain:
- ₹1 coins aam logon ke liye chhote transactions me zaruri hain, khas kar rural aur semi-urban areas me. Cash economy jab tak hai, chhote sikke zaruri hain.
- Coins ki durability — ek coin mein kai saal chal sakta hai, waqt ke saath note (paper currency) jaise baar‑baar kharcha nahin aata. Isliye long term me coins economically practical hote hain.
- Agar coin minting kiye bina chhote transactions me coins na rahe, to banking / digital infrastructure poori tarah tikana mushkil — har jagah coin na milna nuqsan de sakta hai, khas kar kam urbanized areas me.
Kuch Historic & Practical Insights
- Data ke mutabiq 2015‑16 me sabse zyada coins mint hue — 2,151 million coins. Uske baad 2018 ke aas‑paas 903 million coins the. Phir recent saalon me 630 million tak gir gaye. Yani demand ya minting frequency me giravat hui hai.
- Jaise-jaise digital payments (UPI, QR codes) zyada hoti ja rahi hain, small coins par dependance kam ho rahi hai. Par abhi bhi ₹1, ₹2 ki coins riyayti cheezon, bazaar, school canteen, chhote kirana, etc. me bahut use hoti hain — isliye abhi coin system ko puri tarah khatam karna feasible nahin hai.
- Kuch articles me estates hai ke agar metal prices bahut badh jaaye, to per-coin cost ₹1.50–₹2 tak ja sakta hai. Agar aisa hua, to sarkar ke liye har coin aur bhi zyada nuksan ban jayega.
Mustaqbil — Kya ₹1 Coin Band Ho Sakti Hai?
Yeh sawal aksar uthta hai — agar cost face value se zyada hai, to kyun ₹1 coin ko chalte rehne diya jaaye? Kuch possibilities aur unka haal yeh hai:
- Kuch log aur experts suggestion dete hain ki agar coin production cost ₹1.50 ya ₹2 ho jaaye, to sarkar ko ya to coin ki design / material badalni chahiye, ya coin-denomination hi modify karni chahiye. Plastic coins ya lightweight alloys par kaam chal raha hai, lekin abhi tak koi official announcement nahi hai.
- Digital payments aur cashless economy ke faayde — agar log cash kam use karein, zyada log bank or UPI transactions par shift ho jaaye, to future me ₹1 coin ki demand kam ho sakti hai. Par poori tarah band karna mushkil hai kyunki bahut se log abhi bhi cash prefer karte hain.
- Ek aur option coin‑minting ki frequency ko demand ke mutabiq adjust karna hai — jitni zarurat ho, utni coin banai jaaye — takay excess production ki wajah se waste na ho, aur cost per coin sustainable rahe.
Nateeja: Sikka Ek Rupaye Ka — Sirf Sikke Se Zyada Hai
“₹1” jo hum aam taur pe ek chhoti si coin samajhte hain, asal me ek complex manufacturing process aur kaafi kharche ka result hai. Raw material, labour, energy, logistics — sab mil kar us chhoti si round piece ko humare haathon tak le aate hain. Aur sarkar is process mein aksar apni face value se zyada kharch kar deti hai — matlab, har ₹1 coin pe ₹0.10–₹0.30 ya kabhi kabhi zyada bhi nuksan.
Lekin phir bhi, ₹1 coin abhi chal raha hai, kyun ke uski utility, durability, aur aam logon ki daily zarurat is nuksan ko justify karti hai. Agar metal prices stable rahe, aur production sahi scale par ho — ya agar alternative materials adopt kiye jaaye — to coin banana zyada mehenga nahin hoga.
