Stalin traced the legacy of educational reforms, saying the Justice Party first introduced the Midday Meal Scheme in the Madras Presidency, and K Kamaraj expanded it statewide.
Published Sep 25, 2025 | 10:40 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 25, 2025 | 10:40 PM
MK Stalin and Revanth Reddy unveiled the Pudhumai Penn and Tamizh Pudhalvan schemes for 2025-26.
Synopsis: The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu celebrated its educational achievements at Chennai’s Nehru Indoor Stadium with a grand event, showcasing schemes like the Breakfast Scheme and Pudhumai Penn, with Chief Minister MK Stalin and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy in attendance. Videos highlighted student beneficiaries, while new stipends and scheme expansions were announced. Reddy pledged to adopt Tamil Nadu’s breakfast programme in Telangana.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Tamil Nadu government celebrated its achievements in educational infrastructure on Thursday evening, 25 September, with a grand event at Chennai’s Nehru Indoor Stadium. The “Kalviyil Sirandha Tamizhnadu (Tamil Nadu Excels in Education)” event was as elaborate as a film or music launch, complete with LED lights, dances, and celebrity appearances.
The event was hosted by television anchor Dhivyadharshini (DD). Filmmakers popular among younger audiences—C Prem Kumar, Mari Selvaraj, Thiagarajan Kumararaja, Mysskin, Tamilarasan Pachamuthu, and Vetrimaaran—participated, along with actor Sivakarthikeyan, journalist N Ram, Justice K Chandru, and others.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was the chief guest and delivered a special address. Chief Minister MK Stalin, his cabinet colleagues, MPs, and several political leaders were also present. Notably, more film personalities than educationists spoke on stage.
Actor Sivakarthikeyan and others congratulated the Tamil Nadu government and emphasised the importance of education. Director Thiagarajan Kumararaja said, “Aryan ideology denied education, while the Dravidian movement brought education to everyone.”
Videos were screened showcasing beneficiaries of government schemes such as the Breakfast Scheme, Naan Mudhalvan (Skill Development), Tamizh Pudhalvan, Pudhumai Penn, and the Scout scheme. Students and young achievers in sports shared their experiences.
The government announced that 5,29,728 girl students and 3,92,449 boys are receiving a monthly stipend of ₹1,000 under the Pudhumai Penn and Tamizh Pudhalvan schemes. Through the Breakfast Scheme, 20,59,000 students across 37,416 schools are benefitting. Awards were also presented to students, teachers, and schools excelling in education.
MK Stalin and Revanth Reddy unveiled the Pudhumai Penn and Tamizh Pudhalvan schemes for 2025-26, adding 2,23,356 new beneficiaries.
CM Stalin began his speech addressing his Telangana counterpart: “My dear Chief Minister Revanth Reddy…”
He clarified, “This event is not to seek praise for ourselves, but to showcase achievers so that future students are motivated to study with enthusiasm.”
Noting similarities between Tamil Nadu’s Vidiyal Payanam scheme and Telangana’s Mahalakshmi scheme, which offers free bus travel for women, Stalin said Tamil Nadu was ready to adopt good schemes from other states.
Praising Revanth Reddy, he said, “Telangana, born out of struggle, is being safeguarded with the same fighting spirit under Revanth Reddy’s leadership, guided by India’s young leader Rahul Gandhi.”
Stalin traced the legacy of educational reforms, saying the Justice Party first introduced the Midday Meal Scheme in the Madras Presidency, and K Kamaraj expanded it statewide. Today, the Dravidian model government has made it universal.
On scepticism about the schemes, he said, “Some may ask what difference ₹1,000 a month or a morning meal makes. But school attendance has risen after the Breakfast Scheme, and women’s enrolment in higher education has increased under Pudhumai Penn. In the past four years, over 1,000 women have joined premier higher education institutions.”
He concluded, “Many states are planning to adopt our schemes. Unable to digest this, the Union government is creating hurdles for us. But we will make Tamil Nadu the number one state in education.”
Revanth Reddy began his speech with “Vanakkam” in Tamil and said, “It is a great honour to be invited to this remarkable event. This is the land of Anna and Karunanidhi. My thanks to CM Stalin and Udhayanidhi for upholding Karunanidhi’s vision and ideals. This is also Kamaraj’s land too, whose educational policies set the benchmark for India—so much so that even Indira Gandhi adopted them.”
He highlighted the deep cultural link between Tamils and Telugus and similarities in social justice programmes.
He said, “Telangana’s reservation policies are inspired by Karunanidhi’s ideals. Our midday meal scheme was also inspired by Tamil Nadu.”
He praised four flagship schemes of Stalin’s government and spoke of Telangana’s development agenda.
Revanth Reddy noted that Telangana produces over 1.1 lakh engineers annually, but many remain unemployed. Hence, the state is focusing on skill development. He also raised concerns about India’s poor Olympic performance: “Even after 75 years of independence, a nation of 1.4 billion has not won a single gold medal at the Olympics. Why? What are we going to do about it?”
He said Telangana has set up a Sports University with international experts and invited Tamil Nadu students to join: “Let us work together so that Tamil Nadu and Telangana bring home Olympic gold medals. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will not do this. We will.”
On upgrading vocational education, he said, “Our ITIs were still teaching courses from the 1950s. In partnership with Tata, which invested ₹2,100 crore, and with ₹300 crore from the state, we have modernised ITIs.”
He announced that Telangana will introduce nursery and LKG classes in government schools from the next academic year, on par with private schools.
He also spoke of Telangana’s growing network of higher education institutions: “World-class universities are coming. Next month, I will visit Harvard and Stanford to invite them to Hyderabad. The whole of India must learn from Tamil Nadu and Telangana.”
He ended with a call for collaboration between the two states in building an education-driven future.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “Our Chief Minister often says education is the one asset that can never be destroyed. The students sitting here are Tamil Nadu’s true wealth.”
He recalled inviting the Punjab Chief Minister earlier to launch the Breakfast Scheme, who later implemented it in his state. “This time we have invited the Telangana Chief Minister, and I request him to introduce such schemes in his state too,” he said.
Accepting the request, CM Revanth Reddy announced that Telangana would implement the Breakfast Scheme from next year.
It may be noted, however, that former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao had already launched a similar scheme in September 2023 in the state with a budget of ₹400 crore, but it was later scaled down after the change of government. The Revanth Reddy government, South First’s reportage found out, had shut down the scheme without intimation in several schools.
Udhayanidhi also spoke about welfare initiatives in sports under Stalin’s leadership. “When we set up the Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation, our Chief Minister himself donated ₹5 lakh from his personal funds. Today, assistance worth ₹25 crore has been extended to sportspersons,” he said.
He added, “Just as C N Anna Durai remains Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister as long as others fear that his reforms—like renaming Madras State as Tamil Nadu, the two-language policy, and legal recognition for self-respect marriages—cannot be undone, Stalin too will remain Chief Minister as long as others fear his schemes like the Breakfast Scheme, Tamizh Pudhalvan, and Pudhumai Penn will never be reversed.”
