T.N. likely to extend Pudhumai Penn, CM Breakfast schemes to government-aided minority institutions

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, hinted at the possibility of extending, with certain conditions, the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Pudhumai Penn Scheme (for higher education assistance) and the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme to benefit students studying in government-aided minority educational institutions.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, hinted at the possibility of extending, with certain conditions, the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Pudhumai Penn Scheme (for higher education assistance) and the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme to benefit students studying in government-aided minority educational institutions.

During a meeting he chaired at the Secretariat in Chennai to review steps being taken towards the welfare of minorities, Mr. Stalin said some “good news” would come in the State budget over including “girl students in classes 6 to 12, who studied in Tamil-medium in government-aided minority educational institutions”.

Mr. Stalin also said the State government would “favourably consider” the extension of the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme to students in Classes 1 to 5, studying in government-aided minority educational institutions in “rural areas”.

At present, the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Pudhumai Penn Scheme is applicable only to girl students, who have studied in classes 6 to 12 in government schools and the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme is applicable to students studying in classes 1 to 5 in government-run schools.

A new portal would be established to grant various approvals, appointments, promotions and transfers for employees of State-aided minority schools, Mr. Stalin said. The web portal, through which applications could be submitted by educational institutions to register and receive the certificate of a minority institution, would be implemented by the end of this month, he said.

The CM also said that the State government would “consider” the possibility of relaxing the upper age limit for candidates for appointment as teachers in State-aided minority institutions. The T.N. government had earlier relaxed the upper age limit to 53 years for general category candidates and 58 years for others.