The Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26 was presented in the state assembly by finance minister Thangam Thennarasu on March 14, as the government and the opposition parties clashed due to a controversial change in the rupee symbol in the Budget logo.

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During Thennarasu’s second Budget presentation, opposition parties AIADMK and BJP walked out to protest the DMK government for changing the Devanagari rupee symbol of the national currency to a Tamil letter as well as an ED raid into the stat-run liquor corporation TASMAC.

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Here are some key takeaways from Tamil Nadu Budget 2025:

• In the midst of a dispute with the Central government over the three-language system in the National Education Policy, the MK Stalin-led government announced that they would continue with the two-language format.
• The finance minister alleged that the Union government had withheld the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan funds, however, the state government would use its own funds to prioritise the welfare of students and teachers.

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• To promote the Tamil language and literature, the state pledged to organise a World Tamil Olympiad every year with a prize of ₹1 crore. They also stated that ‘Agaram’ – a Tamil language museum – would be constructed in Madurai.
• The government also announced that they would allocate ₹77 crore to their flagship Thozhi hostel scheme in 10 locations to benefit close to 800 working women. Student hostels will also be built in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, with ₹275 crore allocated for the same.
• The finance minister also introduced the Kalaignar Kanavu Ilam housing scheme, for which they have allocated ₹3,500 crore. The scheme, named after former CM M. Karunanidhi, will provide 1 lakh new houses to low-income families.
• A global city, will be built on more than 2,000 acres of and outside Chennai, complete with schools, colleges, industries and infrastructure. It will have housing facilities, roads, parks, and other amenities, stated Thennarasu.
• The finance minister also vowed to create a gig workers welfare board and said that the government would launch a programme to provide ₹20,000 to help gig workers buy e-scooters for work.
• The DMK government also announced a scheme that will provide 1,000 selected students preparing for the union civil service preliminary examinations with a monthly stipend of ₹75,000 for 10 months. Further, those who pass the preliminary exams will get ₹25,000 as an incentive. Those who pass the main examination will also received ₹50,000.
• Additionally, a fund of ₹2,500 crore has been allocated for education loans to benefit one lakh students.
• The finance minister also announced the construction of a new airport in Rameswaram to boost tourism and connectivity.

A discussion on the Budget will take place on March 17.