From Assisting Girl Students To Boosting Start-Ups: Here's Why Tamil Nadu's Budget For 2022-23 Is A Game Changer

The Tamil Nadu government on March 18 officially announced that it would give a monthly scholarship of Rs 1,000 each to all girl students from government schools till their uninterrupted completion of the undergraduate degree, diploma, and ITI courses. The initiative has been taken to encourage girl children from economically weaker families to pursue higher education.

Finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, in his budget speech, stated that Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Marriage Assistance Scheme is being evolved as the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance Scheme to keep up with the changing times.

"All girl students who studied from classes IV to XII in government schools will be paid Rs 1,000 per month directly into their bank accounts till their uninterrupted completion of their undergraduate degree, diploma and ITI courses. The students will be eligible for this in addition to other scholarships," FM Palanivel Thiaga Rajan has been quoted as saying by The Times Of India.

TN Budget To Encourage Girl Education

Approximately six lakh girl students can benefit every year through this programme. Rs 698 crore has been allotted for this new scheme in this budget.

Furthermore, the marriage assistance scheme was kickstarted back in 1989 by former chief minister M Karunanidhi to promote education and assist the marriage of girls from low-income families. Under the scheme mentioned above, Rs 25,000 and an eight-gram gold coin used to be distributed for girls who completed Class X.

The new scheme is being launched to recognise that the enrolment rate of female students from government schools in higher education is very low.

TN's Budget Plans To Assist Start-Ups!

In its new budget, the TN state government also vowed to set up an i-Tamil Nadu Technology (iTNT) hub at the cost of Rs 54.61 crore in Chennai, which will coordinate efforts to use technology to resolve complex issues in the State, Finance Minister revealed.

He also added that the Chief Minister MK Stalin-led government has formulated a comprehensive strategy to develop a conducive start-up eco-system in the state, The Hindu reported.

The Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (TANSIM) would be assisting in setting up Regional Start-up Hubs in Erode, Tirunelveli and Madurai to make sure the growth of the start-up eco-system in all areas across the state of Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, an iconic State Start-up Hub Centre consisting of all key facilities will be built by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) in Chennai's Nandambakkam at an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore as well.

In order to help support these start-ups based in Tamil Nadu, the state government departments and public sector undertakings would be granted clearance to conduct direct procurement of innovative manufactured products up to Rs 50 lakh, the Minister stated.

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