Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin today launched the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance scheme to help boys from government and state-aided schools pursue higher education.
Called "Tamil Pudhalvan (son) Scheme," 3.28 lakh students would get this money credited in their accounts every month. The state has allocated Rs 360 crore for this year.
Mr Stalin emphasised that this initiative is a step towards social justice, focusing on economic liberation and educational rights. "We want to turn poor students into achievers," he said.
This is the third such major monetary benefit scheme by the three-year-old DMK government.
Mr Stalin said as many as 2.73 lakh girl students, who go to colleges after studying in government-run schools, are getting benefits under the Pudhumai Penn scheme that ensures a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000. Also, free rides in city buses for any women.
Reiterating his vision to turn Tamil Nadu into a $1 trillion economy by 2030 by improving the state's infrastructure to global standards, the Chief Minister encouraged students to aim high, saying, "Poverty should not be an obstacle for education... obstacles are only to be broken, never be put down."
The move is seen as a strategic attempt to target first-time voters ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, following the party's consecutive victories in the Lok Sabha elections.
With popular Star Vijay expected to enter politics in 2026, this scheme may play a significant role in shaping the electoral landscape.
The ruling DMK is facing criticism for hiking electricity tariff and online instant plan approval for construction, seen as its ways of increasing revenue to fund these populist schemes the state terms "worthy investment".
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