Tamil Nadu Budget 2025: State Reaffirms Two-Language Policy Amid Funding Row

The Tamil Nadu government has reiterated its commitment to the two-language policy of Tamil and English, despite the Union government withholding ₹2,152 crore under the Samagra Shiksha scheme due to the state's refusal to adopt the three-language formula under PM SHRI schools. The state government allocated funds from its own resources to ensure the release of teachers' salaries.

"We will not give up the two-language policy despite the Union government withholding funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme," the Tamil Nadu government asserted.

Meanwhile, AIADMK MLAs staged a walkout from the State Assembly over the alleged TASMAC scam and later addressed the media.

DMK Accuses Centre of 'Imposing' Hindi

The ruling DMK has accused the Central government of attempting to impose Hindi through the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The party reaffirmed its stance against adopting the policy, insisting on continuing with the existing Tamil-English model.

The NEP 2020 suggests that students learn three languages, with at least two being native to India, but does not mandate Hindi. The policy applies to both government and private schools, allowing states flexibility in implementation.

Rupee Symbol Sparks Language Debate

As per a government portal, the Indian rupee symbol, officially adopted on July 15, 2010, integrates the Devanagari letter "Ra" and the Roman capital "R," featuring two parallel horizontal stripes that symbolize the national flag and the "equal to" sign.

Meanwhile, IIT Guwahati Professor D. Udaya Kumar, the designer of the rupee symbol, declined to comment on the language debate. He mentioned that it was purely coincidental that his father had been a DMK MLA.

Also Read: Rupee Symbol Row: Designer Udaya Kumar Responds, BJP Slams DMK Government