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It’s February 21. Today, we’re covering Tamil Nadu’s battle over mandatory Hindi, PhonePe’s IPO plans, state budgets from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and more.

MUST KNOW

Centre versus Tamil Nadu: The Three-Language Policy Battle

The BJP plans to launch a door-to-door campaign in Tamil Nadu from March 1 to push the Centre’s three-language policy, which includes Hindi. Tamil Nadu has historically opposed this policy, adhering to a two-language system (Tamil and English) since 1968.

The present controversy arose after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan warned that the state would not receive funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme unless it fully adopted the National Education Policy 2020, which mandates three languages. The Centre-sponsored Samagra Shiksha scheme was launched in 2018 to improve school education from pre-nursery to class 12.

In a letter to PM Modi, Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin sought urgent intervention to release ₹2,152 crores under the scheme, accusing the Union government of using fund allocations as a “pressure tactic.”

Supreme Court Stays Lokpal’s Order on Investigating High Court Judges

The Supreme Court has stayed a January 27 order (PDF) by the Lokpal, which claimed jurisdiction to investigate complaints against sitting High Court judges. Calling the move “very, very disturbing,” the court issued notices to the Centre, Lokpal, and the complainant, with the next hearing set for March 18.

The Lokpal had argued that High Court judges qualify as ‘public servants’ under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. It justified its stance by noting that High Courts were established under British Parliamentary Acts, not the Indian Constitution—unlike the Supreme Court. Therefore, it reasoned that High Court judges fall within the ombudsman’s jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court’s stay puts the Lokpal’s interpretation on hold, with the bench noting the case’s “great significance concerning the independence of the judiciary.”

PhonePe Prepares for IPO

Walmart-backed PhonePe has begun preparations for a potential IPO in India, though it has not disclosed a timeline. The digital payments giant, which redomiciled from Singapore to India in 2022, dominates the UPI market with a 48% share, ahead of Google Pay (37%). It has 59 crore users and 4 crore merchants.

The company was last valued at $12 billion and ended FY24 with ₹5,064 crore in revenue but posted a ₹1,996 crore net loss. However, it claims a ₹197 crore net profit when excluding employee stock options.

GOOD TO KNOW

Policy & Governance

> Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Gets Two-Year Jail in Cheating Case – NCP leader Manikrao Kokate has been sentenced to two years in prison for submitting fake documents to claim government flats under a 10% discretionary quota for low income groups in a case dating back to 1995. Kokate, who was granted bail, plans to challenge the verdict in the High Court.

> Uttar Pradesh Budget 2025-26 – Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna tabled an ₹8.08 lakh crore Budget for the financial year 2025-26. The budget sees a 9.8% increase from FY25. Key allocations include 22% for development, 13% for education, 11% for agriculture, and 6% for health. The state plans to establish an Artificial Intelligence City and a cybersecurity research park.

> Rajasthan’s First Green Budget Unveiled – Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari presented a ₹5.37 lakh crore Budget (PDF), the state's first ‘green budget’ focused on climate adaptation, forests, and biodiversity. Key announcements include 2.75 lakh new job opportunities in both government and private sectors, drinking water connections for 20 lakh households, and nine greenfield expressways with a ₹60,000 crore allocation.

> CAG Flags Gaps in Accessible India Campaign Audits – A Comptroller and Auditor General report has revealed that the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) failed to audit 80% of government buildings before retrofitting them for accessibility under the Accessible India Campaign. Launched in 2015, the initiative aimed to make 50% of government buildings in Delhi and state capitals disabled-friendly by June 2022.

> Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Announces Cabinet Portfolio Allocation – Newly-appointed Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announced the allocation of portfolios in her Cabinet. Gupta retained key portfolios, including finance, services, vigilance, revenue, and women and child development. Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal for the New Delhi seat, was given the PWD, water, and other portfolios.

Business

> Demand for Pilots Set to Skyrocket – Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu stated that India will require at least 20,000 pilots in the coming years to keep up with the growing demand for air travel. India is set to add 50 new airports over the next five years, building on the 157 airports already in operation.

> Flipkart Selects Five Startups for Accelerator Program – Flipkart Ventures has chosen five startups for the third cohort of its flagship accelerator, Flipkart Leap Ahead. The chosen startups—Xportel (logistics for ecommerce), Factors.ai (B2B marketing intelligence), Expertia.ai (AI-based recruiting), Bharat Krushi Seva (farming tech and advisory), and Visa2Fly (digital visa)—will receive equity investments of up to $500,000.

> Hilton Targets 75 New Hotels in India – Hilton has signed a deal with NILE Hospitality to open 75 upper-midscale Hampton by Hilton properties across India. Currently, only one Hampton exists in Vadodara. The move is driven by strong economic growth, rising middle-class travel demand, and a hotel undersupply in India’s rapidly developing market.

Tech, Media & Telecom

> Google to Open First Retail Stores Outside the US – Sources say Google is close to finalizing locations for its first physical retail stores outside the United States, with New Delhi and Mumbai emerging as top contenders. The stores, expected to span around 15,000 square feet, are projected to open within six months.

> India Moves to Block 119 Apps – The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology may block 119 apps, primarily video and voice chat platforms tied to developers in China and Hong Kong, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. Only 15 of these apps have been withheld so far. The government has not officially announced a full ban yet.

Etcetera

> Delhi HC acquits man accused under POCSO act - Delhi HC upheld a trial court’s acquittal of a man accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in the case of a 16-year-old girl who absconded with an adult man. It ruled that adolescents should be allowed to engage in consensual romantic relationships without fear of criminalization.

> 14-Year-Old Breaks Six Guinness World Records – Aaryan Shukla, a 14-year-old from Maharashtra, set six Guinness World Records in one day during a mental math competition in Dubai. His records include adding 100 four-digit numbers in 30.9 seconds and dividing a 20-digit number by a 10-digit number (set of 10) in 5 minutes 42 seconds.

> India @2047 analysis by Bain and Nasscom – A new report envisions India as a high-income, developed economy with a GDP of $23–$35 trillion by 2047, requiring 8%–10% annual growth, sectoral transformations, export-driven competitiveness, technological leadership in AI and quantum tech, and workforce expansion with increased female labor participation.

Worth a Look

Mani Ratnam’s directorial debut, Pallavi Anu Pallavi, recently completed 42 years. It was Anil Kapoor’s first Kannada film and Mani Ratnam’s first collaboration with Ilaiyaraaja. The movie also features an iconic track that was later adopted by Idea.

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See you on Monday.