(Image source from: x.com/CMOTamilnadu)

The Tamil Nadu government, led by the DMK, has made the decision to eliminate the official rupee symbol (₹) from its Budget for 2025, opting instead for a representation in Tamil script. This action marks a historic move as it is the first occasion of any state opting out of the national currency symbol, escalating its stance against the National Education Policy (NEP). The removal of the ₹ symbol from the state budget occurs amidst ongoing tensions between Tamil Nadu and the central government regarding accusations of Hindi imposition. The state's refusal to implement crucial components of NEP 2020, notably the three-language formula, has led to the Centre withholding ₹573 crore in educational funding as part of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). According to the established policy regulations, states are required to adhere to NEP directives in order to access SSA financial support, of which 60 percent comes from the central government for states like Tamil Nadu. The DMK government contends that the BJP-led federal administration is attempting to impose the learning of Hindi on the Tamil-speaking populace through the NEP.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has dismissed these allegations, accusing the DMK of attempting to gain political leverage to revitalize its standing. In a post on X, he stated, "Opposition to NEP 2020 is not genuinely concerned with safeguarding Tamil pride, language, and culture." The Indian rupee symbol (₹) was officially adopted on July 15, 2010, following a design contest held by the Indian government starting on March 5, 2009. The design crafted by D Udaya Kumar uniquely blended aspects of the Devanagari letter ‘र’ (ra) and the Latin letter ‘R’ without its vertical line. The two parallel lines atop the symbol are said to symbolize the Indian national flag and also reflect an equality sign, conveying the nation's aspiration to mitigate economic inequality. In the 2010 Union Budget, then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced plans to introduce a symbol embodying Indian culture and ethos. This led to a public competition, resulting in the selection of the current design, which was later integrated into currency notes and coins, with the inaugural coins displaying the ₹ symbol entering circulation on July 8, 2011.