The Tamil Nadu administration may intensify the state's ongoing linguistic dispute by substituting the Tamil letter for "Ru" for the Indian rupee symbol (₹) in the official state budget emblem. Ru is used in place of the rupee because the Tamil word rubai signifies rupee.
On Friday, March 14, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu gave the Legislative Assembly a presentation of the state budget for 2025–2026.
A teaser for the state budget was previously posted on X by Tamil Nadu CM MK, emphasizing the hashtags "Dravidian Model" and "TNBudget2025."
Stalin has even referred to the NEP as a "saffron policy" and is spearheading the opposition's criticism on the matter. The BJP president of Tamil Nadu, K Annamalai, has now retaliated against the ruling DMK minister by posting a video of Madurai-born Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Leaders in Tamil Nadu have continuously rejected NEP, claiming that it enforces a universal education model that is incompatible with the state's laws and linguistic traditions. The Center's purported "arm-twisting" strategies of withholding cash to compel the adoption of NEP-aligned plans have also been rejected by the DMK government.
In 1973, C Rajagopalachari made Hindi mandatory in schools, which led to massive demonstrations throughout the state. In 1940, the policy was repealed.
The southern state objected to the formula's introduction in 1968, believing it to be an attempt to impose Hindi. The state implemented a two-language policy under chief minister C N Annadurai, teaching only English and Tamil.
Since schooling is a concurrent subject, states have the right to reject the formula. The only state that has never used the three-language policy is Tamil Nadu. Hindi and other regional languages were passed over in favor of English.
The Center withheld Rs. 573 crore in central education support under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) when Tamil Nadu resisted the three-language policy. According to the policy, in order for states to get SSA funding—of which the Center gives 60% to states like Tamil Nadu—they must adhere to NEP rules.
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