Mangal bought one kilogram of gold coins in 2001 for ₹4 lakh; by 2015, they were worth ₹27 lakh but earned nothing in a locker. Like many Indian families, she saw gold as security and peace of mind, though such idle gold hurts the national economy. The government’s Gold Monetisation Scheme looked attractive on paper, offering tax-free conversion, interest and maturity gains. But operational friction, paperwork and poor bank-level support made the scheme impractical for her. She chose Sovereign Gold Bonds instead, paid tax on the earlier gain, but eventually redeemed them for ₹56 lakh tax-free. Now, Electronic Gold Receipts ...