Latest news with #PudhumaiPenn
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Schools reopen after summer holidays; ministers distribute books in Salem and Namakkal
Schools reopened after the summer holidays on Monday, and Tourism Minister R. Rajendran distributed books to students in Salem. All government, aided, and private schools in the Salem district reopened on Monday after the summer holidays. Teachers welcomed students back by distributing flowers and sweets. During a ceremony at the Fort Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Mr. Rajendran presented books and uniforms to 421 students, alongside District Collector R. Brindha Devi. Speaking to reporters, the Minister stated that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was prioritising the education and health sectors through schemes like the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme, Pudhumai Penn, Tamil Pudhalvan, Illam Thedi Kalvi, Ennum Ezhuthum, etc. Additionally, model schools and smart classrooms have also been provided. Of the 1,640 government, government-aided and self-financing schools in the district catering to students in Class I to Class V, 67,700 students study in Tamil medium, while 31,906 study in English medium. Among the 350 schools serving students from Class VI to Class XII, 1.16 lakh students study in Tamil medium, while 61,814 students study in English medium. A total of 6.36 lakh books have been distributed to Tamil-medium students, while 2.33 lakh books have been provided to English-medium students. Additionally, uniforms have begun to be distributed to 59,179 children aged two to five enrolled in 2,697 anganwadis. In the function, MLA R. Arul, Salem Corporation Mayor A. Ramachandran, Corporation Commissioner Elangovan, Chief Educational Officer (CEO) M. Kabir, and officials from concerned departments participated. Likewise, in Namakkal district, Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister Mathiventhan distributed books to students at the Government Higher Secondary School at Anna Salai in Rasipuram in the presence of District Collector S. Uma.
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Students get guidance on the right course
Under 'Kalloori Kanavu thittam,' a part of the 'Naan Mudhalvan' scheme, orientation programme was conducted here on Wednesday for students of Sivaganga and Manamadurai who have completed Class XII. Speaking at the event jointly organised by the district administration, School Education Department and Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation, Collector Asha Ajith said that schemes such as 'Tamil Pudhalvan,' 'Pudhumai Penn,' have facilitated an increased in enrolment of students in institutions of higher education. 'Compared with other States, Tamil Nadu government has performed well in the aspect of higher education enrolment,' she added. The government, which thought that the economic condition of the students should not be a barrier to pursuing their education, has implemented various programmes to support them through education assistance and loans. In addition, various orientation programmes conducted in every district have proved that they had played a role in improving the enrolment ratio of the State, she said. The programme focused on students from welfare schools, single-parent children, dropout students, students who failed the half-yearly examinations, students with 50% attendance and those from Scheduled Tribes community. They were briefed about higher education opportunities available to them, different business opportunities and education loans. The students were also given one-to-one consultation. The students were explained the procedure to get education loan from banks. They were explained the salient features of various courses such as engineering, medicine, agriculture, veterinary, arts and science and the allied subjects. The students were also encouraged to take eligibility examinations such as NEET, JEE, CUET, CLAT, and they were assured of support from the district administration for the preparations of these exams. In other places Following the event in Sivaganga, the 'Kalloori Kanavu' event would be conducted at the district teacher education and training institute in Kalayarkoil for students from Kalayarkoil and Ilayangudi on May 15, at Velammal Matriculation School in Tiruppuvanam on May 16, at S.S. Matric Higher Secondary School for students from Singampunari and S. Pudur on May 17 , at Tirupattur Baba Matric Higher Secondary School on May 21; and at Alagappa University College of Education in Karaikudi for students from Karaikudi, Devakottai, Kannangudi, Sakkottai and Kallal on May 22.
New Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
TN scores high in college education but fund, faculty challenges remain
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is a top performer in higher education as validated by its Gross Enrolment Ratio of 47%, which is nearly twice the national average, and in number of higher education institutions proportionate to the population. Such figures, however, mask some crucial issues ailing the sector like the financial situation of state-run universities, faculty vacancies, and quality of education and research. To its credit, the DMK government led by Chief Minister M K Stalin has introduced impactful schemes like Naan Mudhalvan, Tamil Pudhalvan and Pudhumai Penn to encourage more students to enrol in higher education and upskill themselves. For instance, Pudhumai Penn scheme which offers monthly scholarship of Rs 1,000 to women students has helped double the number of girl students in higher education from 2.09 lakh in 2022-23 to 4.06 lakh in 2024-25. Naan Mudhalvan, an upskilling initiative, is being implemented in 353 engineering colleges and 827 arts and science colleges. The effective functioning of state-run universities, however, has been severely affected in the past few years due to the tussle between Governor R N Ravi and the TN government. With the Supreme Court resolving this issue to a large extent through a landmark verdict last month, academicians expect the state to address the issues troubling higher education expeditiously. Of the 22 state universities, 12 are functioning without a Vice-Chancellor and educationists say that it is imperative for the government to swiftly appoint persons of high academic and administrative repute to these posts at the earliest.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Four years of Stalin's rule: Achievements & failures of the Dravidian Model govt
The DMK government, led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, has completed four years in office. This episode of The Hindu Focus Tamil Nadu presents a detailed analysis of the government's key achievements and major shortcomings. The discussion covers important welfare initiatives such as free bus travel for women, education support schemes like Pudhumai Penn and Tamil Pudhalvan, and the doorstep healthcare program Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam. It also highlights improvements in the state's economy and Tamil Nadu's strong stance on federal autonomy. On the other hand, the episode examines ongoing challenges, including concerns about law and order, the unresolved NEET exemption issue, the government's handling of ministers facing legal scrutiny, and caste-based violence incidents. With Assembly elections approaching in less than a year, this is a timely and balanced review of the DMK government's performance so far. Script & Presentation: D. Suresh Kumar Video: Thamodharan V. Editing: Zeeshan Akhtar
Hans India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
CM Stalin to unveil DMK strategy for 2026 Assembly polls on June 1
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin has called on party cadres to prioritise election work in the coming year, urging them to actively gear up for the 2026 Assembly polls. CM Stalin informed party functionaries that a comprehensive election working plan will be presented at the DMK's general council meeting scheduled for June 1 in Madurai. The Chief Minister emphasised the need for widespread grassroots engagement, calling for the participation of booth-level agents and committee members in the 1,244 public meetings planned across the state. These meetings aim to equip functionaries with data-driven narratives showcasing the achievements of the DMK government, enabling them to effectively communicate these to every voter. The CM also urged cadres to remain active on social media, particularly through WhatsApp groups, and to circulate content disseminated by the party's IT wing and other communication channels to strengthen voter outreach. With an ambitious target of securing 200 out of the 234 Assembly seats in the 2026 elections, CM Stalin has tasked full-time party in-charges in each Assembly constituency with intensifying promotion of the government's welfare schemes. These representatives report directly to the party's election cell, headquartered at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK's state office. The election cell is led by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who also heads the party's youth wing, and includes senior leaders such as Organising Secretary R.S. Bharathy and Ministers Thangam Thenarasu, E.V. Velu, and K.N. Nehru. The full-timers are responsible for directly engaging with the public to highlight the transformative impact of government initiatives. Since assuming office in May 2021, the DMK government has launched several flagship welfare schemes. These include free bus travel for women; the 'Pudhumai Penn' scheme, which provides Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance to girl students from government schools pursuing higher education; and its extension to boys under the 'Tamizh Pudhalvan' scheme. Other key initiatives include the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme, offering nutritious meals to government school students from Classes I to 5; the upgrading of 25 higher secondary schools into 'Schools of Excellence' with a Rs 150 crore investment; and the establishment of 708 Urban Health Centers across 21 municipal corporations and 63 municipalities to strengthen urban healthcare access. The 'Kalaignar Women's Honorarium' provides financial assistance to women from marginalised communities, promoting gender equality and economic empowerment. The 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam' scheme delivers healthcare services directly to homes, focusing on early detection and treatment of non-communicable diseases, especially for people over 45 and those with limited mobility. Additionally, the 'Naan Mudhalvan' initiative, launched in March 2022, seeks to skill 10 lakh youth annually, offering career guidance, spoken English coaching, and training in coding and robotics. Party sources revealed that daily reports are collected from constituency in-charges to track public responses to these schemes. Every three days, Udhayanidhi Stalin's team reviews the data and gathers feedback with the assistance of a professional analytics team. --IANS aal/dpb
