Welfare

Madras Corporation starts a school meal scheme

At a corporation school in Thousand Lights, the Madras Corporation started a breakfast scheme that foreshadowed Tamil Nadu's noon meal programmes.

Kamaraj expands free schooling and midday meals

The Kamaraj government opened thousands of schools, extended free education and expanded free midday meals for schoolchildren.

Madras State Housing Board formed

The City Improvement Trust of 1947 was expanded into a statewide housing board, later the Tamil Nadu Housing Board.

Madras State starts an old-age pension scheme

A monthly pension for destitute old people was introduced by the state, decades ahead of the national old-age pension of 1995.

Annadurai's rupee-a-measure rice scheme

The first DMK government tried to supply rice at one rupee a measure, an election promise made during an acute rice shortage.

Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board created

The Karunanidhi government created the Slum Clearance Board to replace slums with tenements, later backed by a 1971 Act.

Beggar rehabilitation scheme launched

On his birthday, Chief Minister Karunanidhi launched a beggar rehabilitation scheme and collected funds for it himself.

Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation founded

The state set up the Civil Supplies Corporation to procure and distribute food grains and essential commodities.

Oru Vilakku one-lamp electricity scheme

Under the 'one lamp' scheme, the MGR government supplied small homes with free electricity and an electric lamp paid for by the state.

Nutritious Noon Meal Scheme launched

MGR's government expanded the school midday meal into a universal Nutritious Noon Meal Scheme for children across Tamil Nadu.

Free dhoti and saree scheme for Pongal

The state began distributing free saris and dhotis to poor families for Pongal, a scheme that also provides work to handloom and power loom weavers.

Moovalur Ramamirtham marriage assistance scheme

The DMK government started cash assistance for the marriage of daughters of poor families, named after reformer Moovalur Ramamirtham.

Eggs added to the noon meal

Karunanidhi announced an egg once every two weeks with the noon meal, the first step towards eggs on every school day by 2010.

Cradle Baby Scheme launched against female infanticide

The Jayalalithaa government introduced the Cradle Baby Scheme, allowing parents to leave unwanted infant girls with the state anonymously.

Chief Minister's Girl Child Protection Scheme

The state began depositing money in the names of girl children in poor families to counter gender discrimination and keep girls in school.

Construction Workers Welfare Board established

Using its 1982 Manual Workers Act, Tamil Nadu created a construction workers' welfare board financed by a cess on building activity.

Mahalir Thittam extends women's self-help groups statewide

The state funded Mahalir Thittam to form women's self-help groups in all districts, after an IFAD-assisted pilot in Dharmapuri from 1989.

Annadhanam free meal scheme in temples

Jayalalithaa launched free daily meals for devotees in 63 temples, funded by endowments from donors; it was later expanded to hundreds of temples.

Free colour television scheme

The DMK government began distributing free colour television sets to families holding ration cards, a key 2006 election promise.

Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam

A village development programme of the Karunanidhi government aimed to give every village panchayat basic infrastructure, including a library.

Free land distribution for the landless poor

At Tiruvallur, Karunanidhi began handing out free land to landless poor families, delivering on a DMK election pledge.

Welfare board and department for persons with disabilities

In 2007 Tamil Nadu enacted a Welfare Board for Disabled Persons Act, and in 2009 it formed a separate Department for the Welfare of the Differently Abled.

Transgender Welfare Board, first in India

Tamil Nadu set up India's first welfare board for transgender persons under the Social Welfare department.

Rice at one rupee a kilogram in ration shops

The Karunanidhi government cut the price of rice in public distribution shops to one rupee a kilogram.

Kalaignar Veettu Vasathi Thittam to replace huts

The DMK government launched a scheme to convert thatched rural huts into permanent concrete houses over six years.

Free mixers, grinders, fans and livestock

The new AIADMK government began giving households free mixers, grinders and fans, and goats and cows to poor families.

Free rice for ration card holders

In her first public event of the new term, Jayalalithaa launched free rice for eligible ration card holders under the universal PDS.

Marriage assistance with gold for the thirumangalyam

Jayalalithaa revised the marriage assistance schemes to add 4 grams of gold for the thirumangalyam and raised aid for graduates to Rs. 50,000.

Chief Minister's Uzhavar Pathukappu Thittam

A farmers' security scheme gave registered landless labourers, small farmers and tenants cash help for education, marriage, death and old age.

Pension scheme for destitute transgender persons

Jayalalithaa announced a monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 for transgender persons above 40 living in poverty.

Amma Unavagam subsidised canteens open

The Chennai Corporation opened low-cost canteens selling idli for one rupee, later expanded across the state.

Amma Kudineer bottled water

The state began selling one-litre bottles of drinking water for Rs. 10 at bus termini and on long-distance government buses.

Amma Salt launched

The Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation began selling low-priced iodised and fortified salt under the 'Amma' brand.

Amma Cement sold at half the market price

The state began selling low-priced 'Amma' cement at Rs. 190 a bag through Civil Supplies Corporation godowns, starting in Tiruchi.

Free bus rides for senior citizens in Chennai

Senior citizens in Chennai were allowed ten free rides a month on ordinary city buses, using tokens issued by the transport corporation.

Crop loan waiver and 100 free units of household power

Back in power, Jayalalithaa cancelled the cooperative crop loans of 16.94 lakh farmers and made the first 100 units of household power free.

Amma Two-Wheeler scheme for working women

Prime Minister Modi launched a 50 percent subsidy, up to Rs. 25,000, for working women buying scooters, on Jayalalithaa's 70th birth anniversary.

Free bus travel for women in town buses

Among his first orders as Chief Minister, M. K. Stalin made travel free for women in ordinary state-run town buses.

Pudhumai Penn scheme for college girls

The state began paying Rs. 1,000 a month to girls from government schools who go on to higher education.

Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme launched

Free breakfast for children in government primary schools began in Madurai and was later extended to all government primary schools.

Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai launched

The state began paying Rs. 1,000 a month to more than a crore women heads of families.

Kalaignar Kanavu Illam housing scheme

A rural housing scheme announced in the 2024-25 budget aimed to build eight lakh concrete houses and make Tamil Nadu hut-free by 2030.

Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam for artisans

Tamil Nadu launched its own credit-linked subsidy scheme for artisans in about 25 trades after declining to join the PM Vishwakarma scheme.

Thayumanavar doorstep ration delivery

Ration items began to be delivered to the homes of over 21 lakh senior citizens above 70 and persons with disabilities.

Anbu Karangal support for orphaned children

The state began paying Rs. 2,000 a month to children who have lost their parents, to support their schooling.

Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme announced

State employees were promised an assured pension of half their last-drawn pay by the Stalin government, a scheme close to the old pension.

Vettri Payanam expands free bus travel for women

Free bus travel for women was widened by the Vijay government to express and deluxe services, without any income ceiling or cap on journeys.