Stalin launches Pudhumai Penn scheme, Kejriwal lauds govt

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday launched the much anticipated "Pudhumai Penn" scheme, which will provide Rs 1,000 for every girl student who had studied in government school and had opted for higher education. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the special invitee for the launch event, held at Bharathi college for women in Chennai.

"Pudhumai Penn scheme will accelerate the educational growth in the State, will increase the number of educated persons, will increase the overall wisdom in the State, will increase the number of qualified persons, will increase gender parity, will reduce child marriages, will provide authority to women, will make women independent and they need not have to tolerate anything that degrades their self-respect," said Chief Minister, after launching the scheme.

DMK after taking over the government altered the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Marriage Assistance scheme into Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance scheme in which Rs 1,000 would be given to all girl students who have studied in government schools from 6th to 12th standards in government schools and who opts for higher education. The scheme is now implemented under the name "Pudhumai Penn" (meaning modern women in English).

Along with the "Pudhumai Penn" scheme, Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated 26 schools of excellence and 15 model schools. Arvind Kejriwal appreciated the State government for launching the "Pudhumai Penn" scheme and said that the scheme will be closely watched across the country. "The scheme will turn out to be a revolutionary scheme not just in Tamil Nadu but for the entire country,” said Kejriwal.

Recalling the visit made by Stalin, on April 1, this year, to Delhi to see the model schools and Mohalla clinics, Kejriwal said that within six months the State government had developed model schools.