Chief Minister M. K. Stalin today said that women’s participation in higher education in Tamil Nadu has increased to 34 per cent, attributing the rise to the State government’s Innovative Women Scheme, which provides direct financial assistance to girl students from economically weaker backgrounds.
Speaking at a felicitation ceremony held at Women’s Christian College, the Chief Minister said access to higher education was historically limited for women, particularly those from rural areas, due to early marriage, household responsibilities, and lack of financial support. He said the scheme helped reduce dropouts by enabling students to continue education beyond school.
The Innovative Women Scheme, launched by the Tamil Nadu government, offers monthly financial assistance to girls who complete school education, with priority given to students from government schools. According to the State Higher Education Department, the scheme aims to bridge the transition gap between school and college, a stage where dropout rates among women were traditionally high.
Stalin said that the 7.5 per cent horizontal reservation for government school students in medical admissions, introduced after extensive legal and political efforts, had ensured representation for first-generation learners. Official data shows that since its implementation, hundreds of seats in MBBS courses have gone to students from government schools, many of them women.
He added that similar reservation policies had been extended to engineering, agriculture, and veterinary science courses, expanding access to professional education for students from marginalised and rural backgrounds.
Referring to his personal association with the institution, Stalin said he was an alumnus of MCC School and described the felicitation as an emotional moment. He also made a political remark stating that although election dates were yet to be announced, the event resembled an election campaign.
Reiterating confidence in the return of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to power, the Chief Minister said the government would continue its focus on social justice policies and assured that pending demands of minority communities would be addressed in the coming months.
Education experts note that Tamil Nadu already has one of the highest Gross Enrolment Ratios (GER) in higher education in the country, and targeted schemes for women and government school students have contributed significantly to narrowing gender and socio-economic gaps.