TVK government’s Minister for Minorities Welfare A.M. Shahjahan on Thursday, 27 August 2026, announced a series of welfare measures for religious minority communities in the State, including educational assistance for Muslim girl students, tuition support for undergraduate education, new community halls, skill development programmes and a ₹40 crore headquarters building for the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, as reported in ETV Bharat.
The announcements were made in the Assembly during the ongoing Budget session while replying to the debate on the demands for grants for the Department of Minorities Welfare.
₹20 Crore Scheme For Muslim Girl Students Pursuing UG Education
A new scheme will be introduced to help Muslim girl students continue their undergraduate education. Under the scheme, the State government will bear the tuition fees fixed by the government for students admitted under the government quota in government, government-aided and self-financing colleges.
The government has allocated ₹20 crore annually for implementing the scheme.
The Minister also announced an expansion of the existing educational assistance scheme for Muslim girl students. At present, the Waqf Board provides ₹1,000 per year to Muslim girl students studying in Classes 1 to 8.
The scheme will now be extended to Muslim girl students studying in Classes 9 and 10, who will receive ₹2,000 per year.
According to the Minister, 41,384 Muslim girl students will benefit from the expanded scheme, for which ₹8.28 crore has been allocated.
Skill Training For 10,000 Minority Community Members
To improve employment opportunities and livelihoods among members of minority communities, the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation will provide skill development training across the State.
Training will cover sectors including information technology, automobile, apparel designing, beauty and wellness, embroidery and agriculture.
The programme will train 2,500 people every year, with a total of 10,000 beneficiaries over four years.
₹10 Crore For Community Halls In Five Districts
The government will construct community halls in Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Krishnagiri districts.
The halls, estimated to cost ₹10 crore in total, will be available for family functions, public events and official programmes at affordable rental rates.
District Minority Welfare Officers In 10 Districts
The government will create new posts of District Minority Welfare Officers in 10 districts where minority communities have a significant presence.
The posts are intended to ensure that welfare schemes and assistance reach minority community members without delay.
The measure has been allocated ₹4.45 crore.
The Minister also announced that funds would be allocated towards expenses incurred by the State Minorities Commission for conducting field inspections at the district level.
₹10 Crore Grant For Conservation Of Ancient Churches
A ₹10 crore grant will be provided during the current financial year for repairing and conserving ancient churches.
The government said the restoration work would be undertaken without altering the heritage character of the churches.
₹100 Crore Revolving Fund For Waqf And Christian Places Of Worship
A new interest-free loan scheme will be introduced to protect and develop properties belonging to Muslim Waqfs and Christian places of worship.
The scheme will have a ₹100 crore revolving fund.
The government will also construct a new headquarters building for the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board at an estimated cost of ₹40 crore.
In addition, the administrative grant provided to the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board will be increased to ₹5 crore.
Waqf Board To Establish Women’s College In Chennai
The Tamil Nadu Waqf Board will establish a new women’s college in Chennai for students from religious minority communities, as reported in The Hindu.
According to the Minister, the proposed college will be established at an estimated cost of ₹2.45 crore.
The announcement comes alongside the government’s new tuition-fee support scheme aimed at enabling Muslim girl students to pursue undergraduate education.
MBC Welfare Board To Be Set Up
Minister for Backward Classes Welfare V. Sampath Kumar also made several announcements concerning the welfare of Most Backward Classes (MBCs).
A dedicated MBC Welfare Board will be established at a cost of ₹3 crore to promote the social, educational and economic advancement of MBC communities.
Eligible members of the MBC communities will be registered with the Board. Registered members will be entitled to welfare assistance and benefits similar to those provided through other occupational welfare boards.
Facilities For 970 Social Justice Hostels
The government will provide inverters, air-conditioners, refrigerators and water purifiers to 970 Social Justice hostels.
An allocation of ₹25.76 crore has been made for the initiative.
In addition, around 34,000 students studying in Classes 9 to 12 in school hostels will receive spoken English training and learning materials through the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation.
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