The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, has replaced the rupee symbol ‘₹’ with the Tamil letter ‘ரூ’ (Ru) in its 2025 state budget. The move comes amid an ongoing language dispute with the central government, particularly over the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP).
The new budget logo now features ‘ரூ’ from rubai (meaning rupee) and carries the slogan “everything for all.” The decision is widely seen as a statement against the Centre’s alleged imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu.
BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai criticized the change, calling it an insult to Udhay Kumar, the Tamilian who originally designed the rupee symbol. He accused the DMK government of disregarding a national symbol for political reasons.
The language row escalated further when Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan warned that ₹2,400 crore in education funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme could be withheld if Tamil Nadu does not fully implement the NEP. However, the DMK has reiterated its commitment to the state’s two-language policy.
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