There are many reasons for the huge economic and social progress of Tamil over the last century, but if I had to choose only one, it would be education. If the social justice is our ideology, then education is its most effective tool that will transfer it forward. Education for all, not only for those who can afford or have ‘merit’, is an equalizer and an activator. It is the foundation on which we continue building a fair Tamil society.
The seeds of this vision were sown more than a century ago. In 1920, the school in the area of thousands of lights under the municipal company Madras became the first in India to serve its students to meals in the middle of the day. The initiative, approved by the then Council of Madras Corporation and inspired by the leader of the justice party P. Theagaraya Chettta, was a pioneering act of compassion and foresight.
Today, this idea has evolved into one of the largest and most effective school catering programs in the world, complemented by breakfast, which started in 2022 with this government. It is one of many reforms that illustrates, as Tamil Nadu has used his educational policy not only to improve learning results, but also to induce equality in society.
We recently witnessed another powerful expression of this vision in action. A total of 135 students from ADI Dravidar and Master Social Schools ensured admission to some of the most prestigious Indian university institutions such as Indian Institutes, National Technology Institutes, National Institutes of Fashion Technology, National Law University, Mirand House and other leading schools in Delhi. All six seats reserved for planned tribes at the National University of Gandhi Rajiv were packed with Tamil Students through the National Advisory Process.
This is a result of consistent, targeted and well -implemented policy. These students, most of whom they studied at government schools from class 6 to 12 years, were fused with the government of Tamil with laptops and recognition certificates. Each of these students has achieved something remarkable not only in connection with their personal way, but in connection with the long -term objectives of justice and the approach of Tamil Nadu.
These achievements are the result of carefully designed support systems. Students completed focused training on admission to various renowned institutions. We have built a strong support system to ensure that students of ADI Dravidar and the tribes will not be left in an effort to educate.
At every stage, from elementary school to research, students receive scholarships that facilitate financial pressures and help them stay at school. Free education, textbooks and uniforms further reduce learning costs, which makes families easier to maintain their children in classes rather than at work.
For students from distant areas, the government provides safe hostel with food and accommodation and removes everyday fight for travel or lack of basic facilities. Along with academic support, skills training programs are carried out to prepare students for employment in the real world. To ensure that these students do not face initial obstacles, the government also offers surrender of fees and concessions for entrance examinations to top institutions.
Together, these measures create a supporting ecosystem that goes beyond the classrooms. It is an effort rooted in evidence and guided the principles of equality, beginning soon and continues throughout the educational path of the student. The impact of this effort is visible in the increasing number of students from marginalized backgrounds providing chairs in the highest institutions. In recent years, Tamil Nadu has constantly produced one of the most inclusive university landscapes in India.
Heritage provision of education for all
The gross ratio of Tamil Nadu (GER) in higher education is 47%, while the national average is 28.4%. Among women, Ger Tamil Nadu is 47.3%, against the national number 28.5%. These figures are the result of a political movement that placed social justice in the core of the administration of public affairs, and the administrative system that followed this goal of seriousness and clarity.
The roots of this success consist in the Social Justice movement and in the educational reforms initiated by the justice party and later institutionalized by the predatory movement.
In 1921, the justice party approved the historical government order, which became known as the municipal GO, which ensured access to education for children from all communities, especially marginalized.
Such timely interventions laid the foundation for today’s system. Governments created by DMK since 1967, based on this legacy with transformation policies and schemes. These movements were not without resistance, but the party stuck firmly to the belief that the educational opportunity is for all the fundamental right, not only for privileged little.
Our government continues to innovate. Schemes such as Pudhumai Penn Thittam, which offer 1,000 GBP a month as a scholarship for students of girls from government or auxiliary schools that seek university education, have a measurable impact on the support of higher education among women. Illam Thedi Kalvi initiative, initiated as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, has helped ensure the continuity of education and bridge gaps in learning between vulnerable communities. The free breakfast scheme for primary school students improved attendance and nutrition, especially in rural and disadvantaged areas. Together, these programs have contributed to the growing gas pipeline of students from a disadvantaged environment who stand out in a competitive environment. Importantly, it is not isolated achievements. Reflect the systemic change.
The Educational Revolution will continue
When students from the disadvantaged parts of society get into the institutions of Eminence, they reaffirm our main belief that the perfection in education is not a preservation of privileged but natural result of providing equal opportunities and support.
135 students we felted 31 July 2025 are more than individual success. They remind us that the Tamil Nadu administration model, based on social justice, inclusion and rational planning, works and works well.
Their success is collective. They belong to the families who supported them, the teachers who led them and this government, which has designed and implemented the schemes that allowed them.
When we send them to start the next phase of their academic routes, we do it with pride and hope. We are convinced that they will succeed in their selected fields and will become clear professionals in their future career. Inspired by them, many others will follow their tracks and turn these several successes into a wave of prosperity and confidence.
We are aware that there are still inequalities that need to be corrected and the challenges that must be met, but we are clearly the eyes of the way forward and the steps that we have to undertake. The government will constantly invest in programs that unlock the potential of those who need them most. We will ensure equal opportunities for all, led by our respected principles of social justice. We will strengthen our people through education, so we can build Tamil Nadu, which is fair, prosperous and humane.
MK Stalin is the main minister Tamil over
Published – 2 August 2025 12:36 AM IS
