Arming women with higher education

Tamil Nadu's Pudhumai Penn scheme empowers girls by providing financial support for higher education, promoting gender equality and empowerment.

For 21-year-old S. Pandiyammal, a native of Theni district, higher education would have remained an unattainable dream but for timely support. She was married at the age of 19 and moved to Coimbatore, her husband’s hometown, and soon had a child. “When I expressed my desire to continue my education, my in-laws agreed because of the ₹1,000 monthly financial support from the Pudhumai Penn scheme. Without it, I would not have pursued my degree and would have remained financially dependent on my husband. This scheme now covers all my college expenses and even allows me to have some money in hand for personal needs,” said Ms. Pandiyammal, now a third-year B.A. Tamil Literature student at the Government Arts and Science College for Women in Coimbatore.

For 20-year-old M. Devadarshini, becoming a Chartered Accountant had been a long-standing aspiration. However, as she entered Class 12, it became clear that pursuing her dream would be unfeasible due to the high examination cost. When she sought support from her parents, they informed her that they could only afford to fund one basic degree. Her father, a painter with a modest income, and her mother, a homemaker, were unable to provide further financial assistance. Additionally, her brother, who recently completed his degree, had assumed responsibility for the family’s loans and was unable to support her education. “I had nearly given up on my dream, but then I learned about the Pudhumai Penn scheme through my college,” said Ms. Devadarshini, who is currently in the third year of her B.Com course at a government-aided college in Tiruvallur district. “For the past two years, I have been saving money to cover the costs of my CA exam. While I won’t be able to afford coaching, I plan to self-study and at least pay the exam fees while working part-time to support my family,” she said.

The Tamil Nadu government launched the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance Scheme, also known as the Pudhumai Penn scheme, to enhance the enrolment of girls from government schools in higher education institutions. Former Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, who is now the Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, announced this scheme during his Budget speech in the Assembly on March 18, 2022.

Under this scheme, all girl students who studied from Classes 6 to 12 in government schools would receive ₹1,000 per month, which would be deposited directly into their bank accounts until the completion of their undergraduate, diploma, ITI, or any other recognised course. By offering financial support, the State government aims to bring about a behavioural change by reducing the incidence of early marriage, increasing enrolment in higher education, and more importantly, retaining girl students in higher education.

According to data from a recent study carried out across Tamil Nadu by the State Planning Commission, around 2,30,820 girl students benefited from this scheme as on May 2023.

According to the study, among 38 districts, Salem had the highest number of students who benefited from the Pudhumai Penn scheme, accounting for 17,032 (7.38%) beneficiaries. Salem was followed by Namakkal with 13,312 (5.77%), Dharmapuri with 11,915 (5.16%), Chennai with 11,468 (4.97%), Tiruvannamalai with 11,146 (4.83%), and Coimbatore with 10,777 (4.67%) beneficiaries.

Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan said the scheme had helped girl students in rural pockets. He pointed out that even students from the remotest villages benefited, and many children from single-parent households also received support through the scheme. He further highlighted that efforts were under way to raise awareness and educate more students about Pudhumai Penn. Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi emphasised the critical importance of educating children, with a particular focus on empowering girls. He added that since the launch of this scheme by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, enrolments in schools had increased, and dropout rates had decreased.