State Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu is scheduled to table the budget for 2025-26 on Friday (March 14).
The logo carried ‘ru’, the first letter of the Tamil word ‘Rubaai’ which denotes the Indian currency in the vernacular language. The caption read “everything for all,” denoting the DMK government’s claims of inclusive model of governance.
சமூகத்தின் அனைத்துத் தரப்பினரும் பயன்பெறும் வகையில் தமிழ்நாட்டின் பரவலான வளர்ச்சியை உறுதி செய்திட…#DravidianModel #TNBudget2025 pic.twitter.com/83ZBFUdKZC
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 13, 2025
This comes amidst the three-language policy row between the DMK and the Centre. The issue has rocked the ongoing Parliament session.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s state unit chief K Annamalai slammed the DMK government over the move. “The DMK government’s State Budget for 2025-26 replaces the Rupee Symbol designed by a Tamilian, which was adopted by the whole of Bharat and incorporated into our Currency. Thiru Udhay Kumar, who designed the symbol, is the son of a former DMK MLA. How stupid can you become, Thiru MK Stalin?” he said in a social media post.
Three-language policy
The three-language formula in NEP 2020 recommends that students learn three languages, at least two of which must be native Indian languages. This formula applies to both government and private schools, giving states the flexibility to choose languages without any imposition.
When C Rajagopalachari introduced compulsory Hindi in schools in 1973, the move sparked widespread protests in the state. The policy was revoked in 1940.
When the formula was introduced in 1968, the southern state opposed it, seeing it as an attempt to impose Hindi. Under the chief minister C N Annadurai, the state adopted a two-language policy, teaching only Tamil and English.
School education being a concurrent subject, states can refuse to accept the formula. Tamil Nadu is the only state that has never implemented the three-language formula. It chose English over Hindi and other regional languages.
Following Tamil Nadu’s resistance for three-language policy, the Centre withheld ₹573 crore in central education assistance under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The policy says, states must comply with NEP guidelines to receive SSA funding, of which 60% is provided by the Centre to states like Tamil Nadu.
With inputs from PTI
First Published: Mar 13, 2025 2:36 PM IST
