Rupee Symbol Designer Reacts to Tamil Nadu’s Budget Change
The Tamil Nadu government has recently replaced the official rupee symbol “₹” with the Tamil script “ரூ” in its 2025-26 budget documents, sparking discussions across the country on linguistic representation and national identity.
Designer of the Rupee Symbol Responds
D. Udaya Kumar, the creator of the rupee symbol and a Tamil Nadu native, reacted to the controversy, expressing his surprise over the debate. He stated, “I don’t have complete information behind the reasons of this change, probably the state government has their own ways, views, and reasons to make the changes. I designed this 15 years ago when the then Central government floated a competition and I won it, after which they implemented it and it’s being widely used.”
Political Reactions
The decision has drawn criticism from various political figures. Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai accused the ruling party of diverting attention from public concerns, stating that the move has made the government a subject of ridicule nationwide. He pointed out that the rupee symbol was designed by a Tamilian and was once appreciated by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. He suggested that the decision to change the symbol is influenced by its association with the Devanagari script.
Union Finance Minister’s Remarks
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also criticized the move, emphasizing that the rupee symbol was designed by a Tamilian, D. Udaya Kumar, the son of a former DMK MLA. She questioned the rationale behind the change, particularly since the symbol was adopted under the Congress-led UPA government, of which the DMK was a part. She highlighted that the rupee symbol is internationally recognized and serves as a key identifier for India in global financial transactions.
Cultural Significance and National Identity
The rupee symbol, introduced in 2010, is a blend of the Devanagari letter “Ra” and the Roman capital “R,” with two horizontal strokes symbolizing the Indian tricolor and the “equal to” sign, representing economic stability. The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to replace it with the Tamil script “ரூ” has fueled debates about the balance between regional pride and national unity.
Ongoing Debate
The controversy has triggered discussions on linguistic representation, cultural identity, and the role of national symbols. As the debate continues, it highlights the complexity of recognizing regional languages while maintaining a unified national identity.
