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New Indian Express
5 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
417 corporation schools in Chennai register 16,000 new admissions
CHENNAI: As another academic year gets rolling, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) schools have registered a total of 16,491 new admissions, from LKG to Class 12. Marking the re-opening of the schools, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday inaugurated the distribution of school textbooks, uniforms, and other educational materials at Lady Willingdon Higher Secondary School, Triplicane, for government and government-aided school students. Simultaneously, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Minister PK Sekarbabu distributed the items to corporation school students at Chennai Primary School in Cook Road, TVK Nagar. The GCC runs a total of 417 schools - 206 primary, 130 middle, 46 high, and 35 higher secondary schools. These schools serve 1.12 lakh students, supported by 3,739 teachers and 140 permanent non-teaching staff. In addition, 12,621 children are currently enrolled in kindergarten classes across 272 primary and middle schools. To boost school attendance and engagement, the government continues to implement initiatives like the CM's Breakfast Scheme, the 'Happy Schooling' programme, and a Rs 1,000 incentive for students who maintain 100% attendance. The curriculum is further provided with science tours, sports skill training, and other co-curricular activities.
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Stalin government steps into fifth year, focuses on inclusive and equitable development
The M.K. Stalin-led government, which assumed office in Tamil Nadu on May 7, 2021, at the height of the intense second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, is entering its fifth year on Wednesday with a continued emphasis on promoting inclusive and equitable development ahead of next year's Assembly election. Recalling his journey as Chief Minister, Mr. Stalin on Tuesday said: 'On the one hand, we inherited a decade of misrule by the previous regime. On the other, the country was reeling under regressive ideologies such as communalism. Yet another challenge was the Union government's consistent refusal to cooperate with Tamil Nadu. In the face of all this, we have managed to run a successful administration. My sole aim was to bring Tamil Nadu back onto the path of progress. We set the right goals, moved towards them with determination, and this four-year journey of the Dravidian model stands testimony to our success.' At his first-ever meeting with editors, senior journalists, and proprietors of various media organisations in Chennai — attended by several Ministers, senior civil servants, and police officers — Mr. Stalin said his government had excelled in policy-and service-based governance without wavering from its principles or faltering in its commitment to the people, despite the crises faced over the past four years and the 'extent of slander that was spread.' 'Our land of Tamil Nadu is built on principles of equality, social justice, equity, fraternity, secularism, linguistic pride, ethnic rights, State autonomy, and federalism. We are journeying toward these ideals,' is how the Chief Minister summed it up. He highlighted his government's flagship schemes — Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (women's monthly rights grant); Vidiyal Payanam (costless bus travel for women); Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme, Pudhumai Penn and Tamil Pudhalvan (monthly grant for select girls and boys pursuing higher education); and the Naan Mudhalvan initiative — as evidence of effective governance. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Ministers Thangam Thennarasu (Finance), T.R.B. Rajaa (Industries), Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (Information Technology), Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi (School Education), and M.P. Saminathan (Information and Publicity) and senior IAS officers, led by Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam, made presentations highlighting the inclusive and equitable growth achieved over the past four years in their respective departments. Consistent progress The government has recorded consistent year-on-year progress across multiple sectors, including economic growth (Gross State Domestic Product at constant prices), merchandise and electronic goods exports, employment generation, and social indicators such as the Gross Enrolment Ratio. To ensure balanced regional development, it has taken steps to establish TIDEL NEO Parks in semi-urban areas and to set up 30 SIPCOT industrial parks across various districts, while securing major industrial projects in locations such as Perambalur and Thoothukudi. Responding to suggestions and views shared by senior journalists, Finance Secretary T. Udhayachandran said the government was optimistic about achieving a 3% fiscal deficit target despite the challenges of an election year. Besides, the State Education Policy, which will most likely reflect the unique policies of Tamil Nadu, will be unveiled soon.
New Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
DMK banks on welfare schemes to strengthen 2026 re-election bid
CHENNAI: The DMK's re-election bid seems stronger than ever before and the party is betting big on welfare schemes to retain power in 2026. Ever since coming to power in 2021 after a decade-long gap, the party – led by Chief Minister M K Stalin – has invested its time, energy and money into welfare programmes, targeting women and students in particular whose votes can tilt the scales in favour of the Dravidian major. The first big move came within the very first month of assuming office with the introduction of free bus travel for women followed by the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme for elementary kids and Pudhumai Penn Scheme for girls' higher education in 2022. After being questioned by the opposition on its electoral promise of providing Rs 1,000 per month to women, the government rolled out the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme in 2023 which has benefitted 1.15 crore women from economically weaker sections. In 2024, the government introduced a scheme similar to Pudhumai Penn for boys, named Tamil Pudhalvan, offering Rs 1,000 a month to support them for higher education. Around 59 lakh women use the free bus travel on a daily basis. The CM's Breakfast Scheme reaches 17.53 lakh students, while the Pudhumai Penn Scheme benefits 4.9 lakh girls, and the Tamil Pudhalvan Scheme has around 4.25 lakh beneficiaries. The Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam Scheme – introduced in 2021 to tackle the increasing non-communicable diseases – has covered over 2.2 crore people across TN by providing doorstep healthcare services. In fine, these schemes have had an impact on around 25% of the state's population. Recently, the DMK government announced the revival of the free laptop scheme, this time targeting 20 lakh college students at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore. While the scheme is a modified version of the one introduced by the previous AIADMK government, which provided laptops to students of Classes 11 and 12, the shift in focus to college students appears to be a strategic move, possibly aimed at wooing first-time voters. While the party has tried to weave in the demands of a wide cross-section of voters from government employees and farmers to daily wage workers and the general public, some of the key promises that are yet to be fulfilled include restoring the Old Pension Scheme, reducing LPG, petrol and diesel prices, providing 100 units of free electricity every month (as opposed to the current bimonthly model) and increasing the number of workdays under MNREGA to 150. The DMK government has cited financial situation, primarily due to non-release of funds from the union government, getting in the way (of unfulfilled promises). The DMK has also been criticised for not getting exemption for TN from NEET. While the DMK holds the distinction of being the first regional party in India to come to power, dethroning the Congress in the state in 1967, it is yet to secure a second consecutive term in its 76-year history. The party now appears to be banking heavily on its welfare schemes to break this jinx and return to power.
