T.N. government: 34% increase in girl student enrolment in higher education due to Pudhumai Penn scheme

About 2.73 lakh girl students are benefitting from the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance Scheme launched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in September 2022, an official release said.

The Pudhumai Penn Scheme aims to provide a monthly aid of ₹1,000 to girl students, who had studied from Class VI to XII in State government-run schools and are pursuing higher education.

Under the Naan Mudhalvan scheme, over 27 lakh students have benefitted, it said and over 1.19 lakh students have obtained employment opportunities. 

Under the scheme, the government introduced curriculum courses for the students of government-run polytechnic, engineering and arts and science colleges in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation.

‘Naan Mudhalvan’ aims to provide information for college students on course and industry-specific skill offerings that would hekp them to get trained in their chosen field of interest that will help them in achieving their career goals.

The State government has also extended aid to the tune of ₹213.37 crore towards the hostel and other expenses of 28,601 students who have benefitted from the 7.5% reservation in professional courses provided to those who have studied in government-run schools, it said.

The government has extended an assistance of about ₹1,000 crore during the past three years to benefit 13,241 first generation learners, it said.

Under the Chief Minister’s Research Grant scheme, a total of 1,960 proposals have been received so far.

Several students were benefitting from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Research Fellowship scheme, the release added. 

The Higher Education Department was constructing an auditorium to be named after former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Presidency College in Chennai. 

The 2,000 seat capacity auditorium spread over 5,500 sq.m. was being constructed at a cost of ₹63 crore.