Inside Vijay's Tamil Nadu budget: Gold rings for newborns, silk saree scheme, Hajj pilgrimage subsidy

TN Budget 2026: The TVK government also expects to generate up to ₹1,000 crore in additional revenue by charging a special fee on liquor manufacturing units.

Published on: Aug 5, 2026, 12:34:44 IST

Edited by Asmita Ravi Shankar

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Tamil Nadu finance minister Marie Wilson on Wednesday presented the CM Joseph Vijay-led government's first state budget for the financial year 2026-27, announcing funds for education, women and newborns, sports and Hajj pilgrimage.

In his Tamil Nadu budget speech, finance minister Marie Wilson stated that CM Vijay entered politics for the sole purpose of repaying gratitude to the people. (PTI)

Beginning his Budget speech, Wilson stated that chief minister Vijay entered politics for the sole purpose of repaying gratitude to the people.

Wilson further hailed CM Vijay for his "victory over numerous conspiracies and now leads the state with a commitment to provide good governance and healthy politics."

The finance minister revealed that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government has planned to achieve a $1.5 trillion economy by 2031.

ALSO READ | ₹2,500 a month, plus a gold ring for women: What promises Vijay's TVK made during Tamil Nadu elections campaign

Hitting out at the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) regime, Wilson said the state's debt has doubled.

He reaffirmed that TVK will fulfil its election promises in phases, adding that transparency has been introduced into government tendering processes.

Additionally, the government also expects to generate up to ₹1,000 crore in additional revenue by charging a special fee on liquor manufacturing units.

Budget for education

1. Education department funds

Finance minister Marie Wilson revealed that a substantial amount of ₹44,527 crore has been earmarked for the School Education Department, and ₹8,393 crore for the Higher Education Department.

Wilson further stated that a portion of the budget has been earmarked to revive Tamil Nadu's educational landscape, with ₹300 crore dedicated to modernising 3,734 state-run schools under the 'Palli Niraivu Thittam'.

2. Hygiene and security of schools

Additionally, a new initiative, 'Super Clean, Super Campus, to increase and maintain hygiene and security on campuses. Wilson said the initiative will be launched in 10,000 schools during its opening phase, backed by a ₹139 crore fund.

The hygiene initiative aims to provide 24x7 protection and consistent maintenance of facilities such as restrooms and drinking water systems.

3. Residential schools for rural, underprivileged students

The TVK government also announced that modern residential schools will be established under the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Model Schools scheme for rural and underprivileged students.

These schools, with an initial investment of ₹125 crore, will provide free education, housing, and healthcare to students from Classes 9 to 12.

ALSO READ | 'Uncompromising and firm stand': Vijay's TVK demands complete scrapping of NEET

Reiterating the TVK government's stance on NEET, Wilson formally urged the central government to restore the medical admissions process based on Class 12 public examination results.

4. Laptop scheme

Further, the finance minister announced ₹2,000 crore for the 'Vettri Madikanini Thittam', a laptop scheme, to benefit college students by enhancing their digital learning capabilities and academic resources.

5. Law college, training institutes

Additionally, a Special Law College in Madurai will be established, and five new Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) will be set up across Tamil Nadu, at an estimated cost of ₹90 crore.

6. Artificial intelligence in education

Wilson said 50,000 students in engineering colleges, polytechnic colleges, and ITIs across the state will receive artificial intelligence (AI) skills training by 2031.

Sports and Olympic goal

Finance minister Marie Wilson said that ₹5.50 crores has been earmarked to establish 10 Olympic Centres of Excellence across the state, with the aim of winning Olympic gold medals and raising Tamil Nadu's standards to the highest level in international sports.

ALSO READ | Free electricity, women's safety: Vijay's first actions after taking oath as Tamil Nadu's chief minister

Benefits to minorities

The finance minister said during his Budget speech that educational scholarships for minority students will continue.

Wilson said that the subsidy for the Hajj pilgrimage has been increased from ₹25,000 to ₹35,000.

Additionally, ₹1.05 crore has been dedicated to support Christian and Muslim women's welfare associations. Wilson said that ₹34 crore has been earmarked for the development of five Muslim burial grounds and cemeteries.

Scheme for women, newborns

The CM Vijay-led government has dedicated ₹812 crore to the "gold coin, silk saree scheme" for women beneficiaries, who will receive eight grams of gold and a silk saree at their wedding.

ALSO READ | Amid TVK shock in Tamil Nadu, a look at Vijay’s manifesto

Further, ₹560 crore has been allocated for the gold ring scheme for newborns in government hospitals, a move aimed at fulfilling TVK's electoral promise.

Other initiatives

Finance minister Marie Wilson revealed that ₹7 crore has been earmarked for the 'Drug-free TN' plan.

He listed the TVK government's initiatives, including the closure of 717 liquor outlets and the provision of 200 units of free power to domestic consumers.

The regime will also charge a special levy from liquor manufacturing units, expecting to generate up to ₹1,000 crore in additional revenue.

(with inputs from ANI, PTI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Asmita Ravi Shankar
Asmita Ravi Shankar is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. She covers breaking news and focuses on crime, geopolitics, and the domestic political landscape. She has an eye for the intricacies in criminal investigations and a keen interest in how diplomacy and complexities affect politics, within India and globally. She has written extensively about Operation Sindoor, the Iran-US conflict, elections in India, Trump tariffs and diplomacy. Asmita also engages in multimedia storytelling, using interactive elements to enhance readers' news experience and build a high-traffic news ecosystem. With nearly three years of experience in the journalism industry, Asmita has been with HT for a little over a year. She has previously worked with online news teams at Outlook India and Network18, covering a wide range of beats and building her specialisation. In HT, she has been recognised for her comprehensive reportage and her contribution to coverage of the Bihar assembly election results, having single-handedly driven over 2 million users on that day. Asmita earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, the University of Delhi. She went on to earn a postgraduate diploma in integrated journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, sharpening her skills in multimedia storytelling, editing and sourcing to enrich her reportage. Additionally, Asmita holds a degree in Bharatanatyam from the Pracheen Kala Kendra. She is also a teacher of the Indian classical dance form. When not working on news, Asmita can be found dancing, binge-watching true crime docu-series, cooking and exploring various genres of music.Read More

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