Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is set to launch the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance scheme, titled Pudhumai Penn scheme, at a function in Chennai on Monday in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal.
During the event, Mr. Kejriwal is set to unveil 26 schools of excellence and 15 model schools being established by the Tamil Nadu government, emulating the model of the AAP government in Delhi.
Minister for Higher Education K. Ponmudy, Minister for Social Welfare P. Geetha Jeevan, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.K. Sekarbabu and Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi will attend the function.
In March this year, the DMK government announced that it would transform the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Memorial Marriage Assistance Scheme as the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance Scheme after recognising that in higher education, the enrolment ratio of girls from government schools was quite low. The government had contended: “In line with the changing times, it is necessary to remould this scheme to promote higher education among girls belonging to the economically weaker families.”
Under the ‘Pudhumai Penn’ scheme, all girls who studied from Classes VI to XII in government schools would be paid ₹1,000 a month till they complete their undergraduate degree, diploma and ITI courses. The amount will be directly deposited into their bank account. The students will be eligible for other scholarships too.
Through the scheme, about six lakh girls would be benefited every year. The State government allocated ₹698 crore in the 2022-23 Budget for the scheme.
