Recently, which one of the following currencies has been proposed to be added to the basket of IMF’s SDR?

The correct answer is Renminbi (Chinese Yuan).

To understand why, let us break this down step by step.

Step 1: What is the IMF's SDR?
The Special Drawing Right (SDR) is an international reserve asset created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1969. It is not a currency itself, but rather a supplementary foreign exchange reserve asset. The value of the SDR is based on a basket of major world currencies. Countries can use SDRs to settle international obligations or exchange them for freely usable currencies.

Step 2: What currencies were originally in the SDR basket?
For a long time, the SDR basket consisted of four major currencies:
1. US Dollar (USD)
2. Euro (EUR)
3. British Pound Sterling (GBP)
4. Japanese Yen (JPY)
These currencies were chosen because they belonged to the world's largest economies and were considered "freely usable" in international transactions.

Step 3: Why was the Renminbi proposed for inclusion?
China's economy grew dramatically in the 21st century, making it the world's second-largest economy and one of the top trading nations globally. The IMF periodically reviews the SDR basket, and by 2015, there was a strong case for including China's currency — the Renminbi (RMB), also known as the Chinese Yuan (CNY). The IMF evaluates currencies based on two key criteria:
1. The issuing country must be among the top exporters in the world.
2. The currency must be freely usable — widely used in international trade and financial transactions.

Step 4: The historic IMF decision
In November 2015, the IMF officially decided to include the Renminbi in the SDR basket, effective October 1, 2016. This was a landmark recognition of China's growing economic influence and the increasing international use of its currency. The SDR basket thus expanded from 4 to 5 currencies:
1. US Dollar
2. Euro
3. British Pound Sterling
4. Japanese Yen
5. Renminbi (Chinese Yuan) — newly added

Step 5: Why the other options are incorrect?
Rouble (Russia) — Russia's currency was not proposed or added to the SDR basket during this period, as the Rouble does not meet the "freely usable" criteria at the required scale.
Rand (South Africa) — The South African Rand, while important regionally, does not have the global trade and financial footprint required for SDR inclusion.
Indian Rupee — Although India is a major economy, the Indian Rupee is not fully freely convertible and was not proposed for inclusion in the SDR basket at this time.

Conclusion:
The Renminbi (Chinese Yuan) was the currency proposed and subsequently approved to be added to the IMF's SDR basket. This was a historic move that reflected China's enormous and growing role in global trade and finance, making the Renminbi only the fifth currency ever to be part of this prestigious international reserve basket.