Vijay govt prioritises Gen Z in debut Budget, nearly doubles youth welfare funds to Rs 1,051Cr

In its first Revised Budget Estimates, presented by Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Dr N Marie Wilson, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has placed a sharp focus on women’s empowerment, school and college students, and Gen Z youth.

While overall education allocations show a modest adjustment compared to the last full DMK budget of 2025-26, a wave of targeted new schemes aims to deliver clean campuses, modern skills, free devices, reforms in sports culture and direct benefits for girls and young women.

The budget speech repeatedly invoked K Kamaraj, Periyar and Thirukkural while positioning Chief Minister Vijay as “Thaai Maaman” and “Vijay Mama” to children and Gen Z. Officials say the measures form the foundation of the ‘Vetri Tamizhagam’ vision document aimed at a poverty-free, 1.5-trillion-dollar Tamil Nadu by 2036.

Schools: Clean campuses, free education

The Budget has allocated ₹44,527 crore for the School Education Department. This is slightly lower than the DMK’s 2025-26 allocation of ₹46,767 crore (as well as the interim figure of ₹48,534 crore earlier this year), yet the new government has redirected resources into high-visibility, and youth-centric initiatives.

In a decisive push for quality education and youth empowerment, the Vijay government has unveiled a series of transformative measures under the School Education Department. The Super Clean Super Campus Scheme will ensure daily professional cleaning and maintenance of toilets and drinking-water facilities, along with 24-hour security across 10,000 government schools in the first phase, backed by an allocation of ₹139 crore and the promise of “Super Safety, Super Students and Super Campuses.”

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That apart, Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Schools of Excellence will be established as modern residential institutions for academically talented students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Classes 9 to 12, offering free education, food, boarding, textbooks and uniforms with ₹125 crore for infrastructure.

Curriculum overhaul, drug-free schools

A comprehensive curriculum overhaul aimed at experiential, inquiry-based and future-ready learning covering critical thinking, financial literacy, gender equality, digital skills and competitive-exam readiness has been allocated ₹25 crore.

The anti-drug campaign will establish Anti-Drug Clubs, prominently display the 10581 helpline and promote the ‘Drug-Free Tamil Nadu’ mobile app with ₹7 crore, while approximately 5.32 lakh Class XI Gen-Z students in government and aided schools will receive modern branded bicycles complete with helmets and water bottles at a cost of ₹277 crore.

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The Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme has been expanded to Classes VI–VIII, benefiting an additional 15.14 lakh students across 15,414 schools from 17 September, with an enhanced allocation of ₹710 crore. Together, these initiatives mark a clear shift towards superior infrastructure, hygiene and an anti-drug culture for the over 43 lakh students in government schools.

Free laptops, more hostels

An allocation of ₹8,393 crore has been made towards the higher education sector, nearly matching the previous DMK figure of ₹8,494 crore.

College students stand to gain significantly from the Vetri Laptop Scheme, which provides free laptops to boost technical skills and digital learning with a massive ₹2,000 crore outlay. The newly-formed Tamil Nadu Student Housing and Infrastructure Corporation will drive the TN-SUDAR initiative to construct 200 integrated student hostels offering one lakh modern beds under a PPP model, supported by a state capital grant of ₹640 crore over two years.

The government has also strongly reiterated its opposition to NEET, demanding its immediate cancellation and a return to Class XII marks-based medical admissions in view of recurring question-paper leaks that severely impact the next generation.

Skilling programmes

Under the Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department, which has been granted ₹2,022 crore, the flagship Vetri Skill Training Scheme will deliver industry-aligned training to 12 lakh college students and one lakh unemployed youth this year, besides paid internships for 20,000 youth in the first phase with priority for families without permanent employment, at an allocation of ₹150 crore.

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Additional measures include EV maintenance training for 22,500 vehicle mechanics over five years (₹3 crore this year), extra coaching for SSC, RRB and IBPS examinations at all District Employment and Career Guidance Centres (₹3.38 crore), introduction of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning trades in ITIs, and a long-term goal to skill five lakh youth across engineering colleges, polytechnics and ITIs in AI by 2031, alongside expansion of the TN SPARK programme on AI, robotics and digital tools in more government schools.

Youth Welfare and Sports Development has seen a near-doubling of allocation to ₹1,051 crore from the previous DMK figure of roughly ₹572 crore. An Integrated Youth Development Programme will link NCC, NSS, Health, Police and Social Welfare departments to channel young energy into sports and community service under the message “Choose Sports over Drugs.”

Olympic centres, daily sports classes

Ten Olympic Centres of Excellence will be set up across the state with ₹50 crore, while ₹5 crore will fund world-class training for selected school students aged 8 to 18.

All government and aided schools will introduce a daily one-hour structured sports and physical exercise session after class hours up from just two periods a week supported by neighbourhood sports facilities, small gyms and complexes in every block and urban local body, along with financial assistance for 500 national and international athletes and the promotion of traditional Tamil sports.

Gold for brides, support for transgenders

On the women’s front, Social Welfare and Women’s Empowerment has been allocated a substantial ₹9,818 crore. Under Annan’s Seer, every bride in Tamil Nadu will receive an 8-gram gold coin and a silk saree on her wedding day with an allocation of ₹812 crore, as the chief minister positions himself as an elder and younger brother to every woman.

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The Vetri Magalir Goat Rearing Scheme will provide five goats or sheep with 100 per cent subsidy to about 30,000 destitute widows, deserted women, transgender persons and persons with disabilities in rural areas at a cost of ₹110 crore. Free milch cows will be given to 10,000 eligible rural women every year.

Five hundred new Anganwadi centres with essential amenities will be constructed. Comprehensive support for the transgender community including skill training, enterprise subsidies up to ₹50,000, ‘Aran’ shelter homes and short-stay facilities, will also be expanded.

On the social justice front, the ‘Mannin Magal Thittam’ prioritises Adi Dravidar and Tribal women agricultural labourers becoming landowners, with modern farming training (₹20 crore). Minority women aid societies and other supports continue with enhanced allocations.

DMK Vs TVK Budgets: a comparison

Here’s a comparison of the TVK government’s budget with the last budget of the previous DMK government:

School education: ₹44,527 Crore (TVK) Vs ₹46,767 Crore (DMK) – a slight reduction in allocation, but stronger emphasis on cleanliness, residential excellence schools and Gen Z devices.

Higher education: ₹8,393 Crore (TVK) Vs ₹8,494 Crore (DMK) – comparable, with a bold ₹2,000 Crore laptop push matching the scale of earlier device schemes.

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Youth and Sports: ₹1,051 Crore (TVK) Vs ₹572 Crore (DMK) – clear increase, reflecting the “Sports for All, Sports Everywhere” and anti-drug messaging.

New signature schemes Annan’s Seer, Super Clean Super Campus, Vetri Skill Training, Olympic centres mark a distinct shift toward personalised, aspirational benefits for women and the young.