Women’s enrolment in higher education up by 34% due to Pudhumai Penn scheme: T.N. CM Stalin

The enrolment of women in higher education in Tamil Nadu has increased by 34% due to the Pudhumai Penn scheme, under which ₹1,000 is deposited monthly to the beneficiary students in colleges, said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Chennai on Tuesday (February 10, 2026).

Addressing an event organised by All India Association for Christian Higher Education (AIACHE) and Women’s Christian College (WCC), Mr. Stalin said: “The enrolment of women has increased by 34% only due to the Pudhumai Penn scheme, according to recent data. What else can make me more happy? This is no ordinary achievement. If we undertake a study now, it would have increased even more. About eight lakh girl students have benefitted from this programme.”

A study by the State Planning Commission had shown that girl students from rural areas benefitted more from the scheme than those from urban areas, the Chief Minister said. The office-bearers of AIACHE and various minority educational institutions from across Tamil Nadu felicitated Mr. Stalin for the measures initiated by his government, benefitting these institutions.

Mr. Stalin said his government realised that its duty was to fulfil the various demands put forth by these institutions and was acting accordingly. “There are more demands from them [AIACHE]. We will return, so we will certainly fulfil your remaining demands,” he said.

Listing out his government’s measures in school and higher education, Mr. Stalin told the students: “There are no short-cuts. Like one of the dialogues by ‘Superstar’ Rajinikanth, ‘One cannot get anything without hard work, and things obtained without hard work will not last’.” He asked them to be cognisant of the hardships faced by their parents in getting them educated.

“Tamil Nadu is the State where parents spend their lifetime savings for the education of their children. Please safeguard the trust they have in you. This is my request. There can be no bigger happiness for them to hear someone tell them something good about you. You should give them that happiness,” Mr. Stalin said.

Chennai Central MP Dayanidhi Maran; legislators N. Ezhilan, Inigo Irudayaraj, I. Paranthamen; AIACHE general secretary Rev. Fr. Xavier Vedam, S.J., WCC principal Lilian Jasper, Society of Jesus’ Rev. Fr. Thomas Amirtham, S.J., Madras Christian College principal P. Wilson, WCC Association president Mohan Eddy, principals of various educational institutions M. Asrar Sheriff, J. Paul Jayakar, Sr. Stella Mary, FMM, Rev. Fr. A. Louis Arockiaraj, S.J., and R. Beulah Jayashree, were among the participants.

Ford to resume operations: Stalin

Automobile major Ford was set to resume manufacturing operations in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin said during the function.

“Next, Ford is about to resume manufacturing. We are now competing with not other States but with other countries. It is only because Tamil Nadu is focusing on education,” Mr. Stalin said.

Over the past six months, Mr. Stalin recalled having inaugurated units of Winfast and Tata Motors-Jaguar Land Rover. “There is no history of inaugurating two major car companies within such a short period.”

Underlining the industrial profile of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin pointed out the State has emerged as the second-largest economy in the country. From being among the poorest States in the country in the 1950s, Tamil Nadu has emerged to join States that have minimal poverty, he said.