The Indian rupee symbol'' (officially adopted in 2010) is derived from the Devanagari consonant "र" (ra) and the Latin letter "R". The amount (and the word "rupee") is written on the front of Indian banknotes in English and Hindi and on the back the name is listed, in English alphabetical order, in 15 other Indian languages. So already you can see that diversity of language is a significant part of life in India.
Thoughts for Classroom Discussion:
* When comparing U.S. and foreign currency, what do you notice?
* Do you think the U.S. properly celebrates our diversity with our current currency? Why/why not?
* Should we have more languages represented on our currency? Should we honor the Native Americans of our past or the languages most spoken in our nation today?
* Where are the women in regards to portraits on currency (of all nations)?