- TAMILNADU BUDGET LOGO CHANGE
SUBJECT: STATES
- TN budget 2025-26 uses Tamil letter (Roobai) instead of the national rupee symbol (₹).
- Symbolism: Slogan “Ellarkum Ellam” stresses inclusiveness.
- Features a Sangam verse celebrating Tamil heritage.
- Details: Official documents use ரூ and “rupees” to avoid Devanagari.
- Not seen as unconstitutional by officials.
- Reactions: BJP criticizes replacing the widely adopted rupee symbol designed by a Tamilian in 2010.
2. ACCEPTABLE CONTRAST : ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND INFLATION
SUBJECT: ECONOMY
- Retail inflation at 3.61% (7-month low), food inflation at 3.75% (2-year low).
- Industrial Production (IIP): Grew 5% in January (up from 3.55% in December), driven by infrastructure and intermediate goods.
- Monetary Policy: RBI repo rate cut by 25 bps (6.50% → 6.25%), first cut in five years, to stimulate growth.
- Dollar-rupee swap auctions to inject liquidity amid ₹2 trillion banking deficit.
- Market Dynamics: Foreign investor outflows amid rupee depreciation and global inflation fears.
- Equity mutual fund inflows down 27%, SIP accounts dropping.
- Key Takeaway: Low inflation offers relief; however, global factors and investor confidence remain key to sustained economic stability.
3. IS LEARNING HINDI AS A THIRD LANGUAGE NECESSARY
SUBJECT: NATIONAL
- Three-Language Formula (NEP 2020): Mother tongue/regional language + Hindi (or another Indian language) + English.
- Opposition: Tamil Nadu opposes compulsory Hindi, calling it a “Hindutva policy.”
- Burden on non-Hindi states, teacher shortages, potential federalism concerns.
- Debate Highlights: Yogendra Yadav (YY) & T.M. Krishna (TMK) emphasize linguistic diversity and the risk of Hindi imposition.
- North India’s reluctance to learn southern languages.
- Way Forward: Avoid one-size-fits-all.
- Respect linguistic autonomy of states; promote multilingualism without compulsion
4. ISRO UNDOCKS SPADEX SATELLITES (SPACE DOCKING EXPERIMENT)
SUBJECT: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- Milestone: ISRO successfully undocked two satellites in a 460 km orbit, making India the 4th country to achieve in-orbit docking/undocking.
- Importance: Essential for future space stations, crewed missions (Gaganyaan), and sample return missions.
- Technologies Tested: Autonomous docking, power transfer between spacecraft, in-space robotics.
- Next Steps: Further experiments post-undocking to refine docking tech and expand human spaceflight capabilities.
5. INA VETERAN CELEBRATES 99TH BIRTHDAY
SUBJECT: NATIONAL
- Lt. R. Madhavan Pillai: Joined INA under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943.
- Role: Recruiting officer, fundraiser, and mobiliser in Burma.
- Recognized as a freedom fighter by GoI in 1980.
- Recent Event: Laid wreaths at National War Memorial& Netaji statue on Kartavya Path.
- Significance: Symbol of INA’s legacy in India’s freedom struggle.
- Emphasizes continued respect for WWII-era veterans.
