TN govt to bear initial travel costs of students going abroad to study: CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday announced that the government would sponsor the initial travel fares for students from the state going abroad for higher education, as reported by Daily Thanthi.

Speaking at an event organised by the School Education Department for felicitating government school graduates pursuing higher education in top institutions in the country and abroad, the CM said that the education sector has seen a revival under the DMK regime in the state.

"Tamil Nadu has become number one in India in higher education enrollment," Stalin said, adding that after a gap of ten years, students from the state were enrolling at top higher educational institutions in growing numbers, as witnessed across the last three years.

In 2022, 75 government school students enrolled at top higher education institutions. Their numbers rose to 274 in 2023. This year, 447 students including 54 differently-abled students have gone to study at premier institutions in India, Malaysia and Taiwan., he noted.

"Enrollment in colleges too have also gone up by 17 percent and women enrolling under the 'Pudhumai Pen' scheme has also gone up by 34 percent," the Chief Minister added.

Stalin then went on to point out various resources available for government school students like free online samples of model question papers and government-sponsored trips to pursue education abroad. 

The CM also requested the principals of institutions to encourage students as they are representatives of the government. "If government school students set their mind to it, they can scale great heights," he encouraged, and urged them to remain focused during their studies.