Tamil Nadu has consistently refused to implement key aspects of NEP 2020, particularly the three-language formula. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin recently led a statewide protest against the Union government. The Central government has withheld ₹573 crore in education assistance under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) According to policy guidelines, states must comply with NEP provisions to receive SSA funding, with the Centre covering 60 per cent of the allocation for states like Tamil Nadu. The state will continue its two-language policy (Tamil and English), which has been in place since 1968. It is the first time a state has rejected the national currency symbol. The Tamil script equivalent of the rupee will be used in the state’s Budget 2025-26, replacing it with the Tamil script. The Budget will be presented on Friday, March 13, by Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu. It will be the first state to do so since the Reserve Bank of India introduced the scheme in 1991.