Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has launched the 'KalaignarMagalirUrimaiThittam' (Kalaignar Women's Rights Assistance Scheme), offering Rs.1000 monthly assistance to women in the state.

About the initiative:

• The state government had months ago announced that the scheme and would be launched on September 15, on the birth anniversary of Annadurai.
• The initiative is recognition of women's hard work, a key objective of the scheme.
• The State government has identified as many as 1.06 crore women as beneficiaries under the plan and the Rs 1,000 assistance is paid to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer.
• Significance:
  • The 12,000 payout per annum would be great support for women, a symbol of development.
  • It would help them improve their standards of living, lead a life of self-respect and eradicate poverty.

Other related initiatives:

• Mahila E-Haat: This is an online platform that enables women entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products. While not a direct cash transfer, it supports women's economic empowerment.
• PM SVANidhi Scheme: While not exclusively for women, this scheme provides working capital loans to street vendors, including many women, to restart their businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• PradhanMantriMatruVandanaYojana (PMMVY): This scheme provides financial assistance to pregnant and lactating women to ensure proper nutrition and health during pregnancy and after childbirth.