The MK Stalin government has replaced the rupee symbol with the Tamil letter for ‘Ru’ in the state budget logo, marking a first for any state to drop the national currency symbol. This move comes amid Tamil Nadu’s ongoing opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the three-language policy.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu is set to present the 2025-26 budget on Friday. The budget logo features ‘ru,’ the first letter of the Tamil word ‘Rubaai,’ which represents the Indian currency in Tamil. The logo also includes the caption “everything for all,” reflecting the DMK’s claim of an inclusive governance model.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai.
“The DMK government’s State Budget for 2025-26 replaces the Rupee symbol, designed by a Tamilian and adopted by the whole of Bharat. Thiru Udhay Kumar, who designed the symbol, is the son of a former DMK MLA. How stupid can you become, Thiru @mkstalin?” Annamalai posted on social media, also sharing the 2024-25 budget logo that featured the Indian Rupee symbol.
The Tamil Nadu government has not issued an official statement yet. However, BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy told NDTV that the move reflects the DMK’s stance of being “different from India.”
Tamil Nadu’s opposition to key aspects of the National Education Policy 2020, especially the three-language formula, has already led to the Centre withholding ₹573 crore in education aid under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
As per policy rules, states must adhere to NEP guidelines to receive SSA funding, with the Centre contributing 60% of the funds to states like Tamil Nadu.
Under the PM SHRI scheme, states are required to sign an MoU with the central government agreeing to implement NEP 2020 in exchange for financial support from the Centre.
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