Health Minister K.G. Arunraj inaugurates a special camp to provide deworming tablets to students of a government school in Chennai on Monday | 5% horizontal reservation for NEET-qualified State government school students in medical admissions, Health Minister K.G. Arunraj said on Monday (August 10, 2026).Responding to a question on whether the 7.5% quota would be increased to 10%, as per the earlier recommendation of a commission headed by Justice P. Kalaiyarasan, Mr. Arunraj told journalists in Chennai that the government will be reviewing the same on Monday, and another committee headed by a judge will be constituted.In 2020, the then AIADMK government had constituted the commission to analyse the reasons for fewer government school students getting admission to MBBS and to suggest remedial measures. The commission had recommended that 10% of seats can be set apart on preferential basis to students who had studied in government schools and those who had qualified the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. It had also recommended the reservation should be reviewed by the State government after a period of five years from the date of implementation.Adverting to other issues, the Minister said there were complaints that the names of around 20 students who had applied for MBBS/BDS had not been included in the merit list, which is scheduled to be released later on August 10, 2026, for want of a residential certificate. He said the requirement for a residential certificate was introduced following complaints in the past that students from other States had secured admission in Tamil Nadu. This followed an order of the Madras High Court on the requirement to submit a residential certificate.“As an alternative, we are also accepting bona fide certificates if a student has studied from Classes VI to XII in Tamil Nadu. After the issue of nearly 20 students being left out of the merit list for not submitting residential certificates came to light, we immediately asked the officials to verify their details, and if found eligible, include their names in the merit list,” he said.Deworming programmeLaunching the distribution of deworming tablets on National Deworming Day, he said surveys show that nearly 57% of children aged six months to 59 months and 53% of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years were anaemic. Intestinal worm infections can cause anaemia, affecting daily life, and impairing learning, concentration, and memory in children. In pregnant women, anaemia is one of the important causes for low birthweight in newborns. This is why albendazole tablets are administered twice a year as a part of the deworming programme.Intestinal worm infestation has reduced from 85% to 72% in the State, and should be reduced further, he said. He added that apart from children and young women, every adult should take the deworming tablets twice a year.Among others, Health Secretary Darez Ahamed was present. Published - August 10, 2026 03:20 pm IST
Image used for representational purposes only | Marie Wilson on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) said the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led State government will launch the ‘Vetri Skill Training Scheme’ to provide industry-aligned skill training to 12 lakh college students and one lakh unemployed youth this year.He said internship programmes in collaboration with government and private industries will be provided to 20,000 youth in the first phase, with graduates and vocational education holders receiving a monthly stipend. Priority will be given to youth from families without permanent employment. A sum of ₹150 crore has been allocated for this scheme.Tamil Nadu Budget 2026 LIVE updates: Finance Minister Marie Wilson announces one-sovereign gold coin for brides in TVK-led govt.’s maiden BudgetPresenting the Revised Budget for 2026-27 in the Assembly, Mr. Wilson said the Tamil Nadu School Programme for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Knowledge of Online Tools (TN SPARK) will be expanded from the existing 5,000 government schools to an additional 2,600 schools during 2026-27. Under the revised three-tier framework, students of Classes VI to VIII will learn the fundamentals of emerging technologies, Classes IX and X will receive intermediate-level training, and Classes XI and XII will be offered specialised elective courses.EV mechanic trainingTo reduce dependence on petroleum-based products and curb environmental pollution, the State government will train mechanics currently servicing fossil fuel-powered vehicles in the maintenance of electric vehicles and batteries. Over the next five years, 22,500 persons, including 12,500 existing mechanics, will benefit under the scheme, and a total of ₹3 crore has been allocated for this financial year, Mr. Wilson said.AI pushTo help Tamil Nadu’s youth secure emerging global employment opportunities, the government will introduce a new Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning trade in Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at an estimated cost of ₹10 crore. The course will be introduced in 50 ITIs over five years, covering 10 institutes each year, and is expected to train 24,000 students. In addition, five new ITIs will be established at an estimated cost of ₹90 crore, for which ₹7.5 crore has been allocated, the Finance Minister said.Coaching classes conducted through District Employment and Career Guidance Centres for State government recruitment examinations will be expanded to include examinations conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). The State government has allocated ₹3.38 crore for this initiative, he said.The State government will launch the AI Industry Development Program to position Tamil Nadu at the forefront of artificial intelligence and technological innovation. An expert committee of academic and industry leaders will develop specialised AI curricula for higher education, and through partnerships with institutions including IIT Madras, the programme aims to skill five lakh youth across engineering colleges, polytechnics, and ITIs by 2031, Mr. Wilson said.A total of ₹2,022 crore has been allocated for the Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department, while the Special Programme Implementation Department has been allocated ₹17,150 crore, he added. Published - August 05, 2026 11:49 am IST
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson presents the maiden budget of the TVK-led coalition government in the Legislative Assembly, in Chennai on Wednesday | In the past three out of five years, the budget estimates for the TRR were pushed down at the time of arriving at the revised estimates. On the contrary, this time, the TRR figure is higher by ₹5,452 crore over the budget estimate’s figure. Compared to ₹3,44,575 crore provided at the time of the presentation of the budget figure earlier this year, the State government has calculated that the TRR will be ₹3,50,027 crore.The increase in funds will be an outcome of the State government’s participation in the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM-G), according to a perusal of the revised budget documents for 2026-27. This is being reflected in the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), which will see a rise of about ₹9,790 crore. As the new rural job guarantee scheme requires a contribution of 40% by the State government, there will be an outgo of ₹5,057 crore from the State’s kitty, even as there will be an inflow of ₹7,586 crore. In addition, an amount of ₹3,461 crore is due to the State under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the precursor to VB G RAM-G. These explain the increase in the revised amount under the head of the CSS.The White Paper, presented by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led regime in June, spoke of budget credibility gap and revenue receipts falling short of projections in the past. On the contrary, the maiden budget of the current regime presents a contrasting picture, at least with regard to the TRR. At the time of filing of this report, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) M.A. Siddique had not responded to The Hindu’s query on the matter, though he stated that the increase in the CSS figure was due to VB G RAM-G.However, in his Budget speech, Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson referred to various measures being taken by his government for additional resource mobilisation, as a result of which approximately ₹15,000 crore is expected. The measures include the levy of additional privilege fee on liquor manufacturers and leveraging Information Technology through ‘faceless assessment’ under the Goods and Services Tax, ‘faceless registration’ in the Registration Department, and end-to-end computerisation in monitoring mining activity. Published - August 06, 2026 06:05 pm IST
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay during the distribution of appointment orders to assistant medical officers and health inspectors at a recruitment event organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, at Presidency College, in Chennai, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar) (PTI07_14_2026_000087A) | Joseph Vijay as a ‘Jananayagan’ (the title of his last film) while presenting the Revised Budget Estimates in the Assembly.During his Budget speech, the Minister said that, within just three months of assuming office, the Chief Minister had earned an enduring place in the hearts of the people, becoming part of every household as a son, an elder brother, a younger brother, their very life, their kin and the embodiment of their emotions.Elsewhere in his speech, the Minister referred to the Chief Minister as ‘Vijay Mama’ (Uncle Vijay) to children.He said the Chief Minister had entered public life solely to repay his debt of gratitude to the people who had given him everything.“He overcame numerous conspiracies to secure a historic victory, for the sake of the people whom he loves as his own life and who, in turn, regard him as one of their own,” the Minister said. Published - August 06, 2026 05:22 am IST
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Marie Wilson, who presented the Revised Budget Estimates 2026-27 on Wednesday, entered the Legislative Assembly carrying a rosary and began his Budget speech by making the sign of the cross.The Minister’s attire also differed from that of his predecessors, who traditionally wore dhotis. Mr. Wilson was dressed in trousers and a tucked-in shirt with button tabs to secure the rolled-up sleeves. Published - August 06, 2026 05:23 am IST
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