Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Monday tabled the budget for the financial year 2023-24. The government has allocated Rs 40,299 crore for school education while higher education got Rs 6,967 crore. Important projects have been announced for the education department.


Here's a look at key points:


1. Students' enrollment in government schools has increased significantly in the last two years due to various initiatives taken by this government. Therefore, to improve the structure of government schools and construct new buildings, the government has launched the 'Professor Anbazhalagan School Development Project' at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore.


2. Similarly, in the current year, construction work is being carried out at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore. In the coming financial year, new classrooms, laboratories and toilets will be built at a total cost of Rs 1,500 crore.


3. The Literacy Program aims to achieve basic literacy and numeracy skills for all students studying in Class 1-3 by 2025. Now, this scheme will be extended to classes 4th and 5th in the coming financial year and the scheme will be set up at a cost of Rs 110 crore.


4. Book festivals and five literature festivals were successfully held last year in all the districts of Tamil Nadu. The initiative will be continued and has been allocated funds of Rs 10 crore in the coming year.


5. The government successfully organised the first Chennai International Book Fair in January 2023 with the participation of 24 countries. 355 MoUs have been signed between publishers from Tamil Nadu and various countries facilitating knowledge exchange and transfer of copyrights. This international book fair will be held every year.


6. In the state-level awareness and monitoring committee meetings held on August 19, 2021, and April 12, 2022, under the leadership of Chief Minister MK Stalin, demands were made to run and maintain Adi Dravidar welfare schools through the Department of Education. 


7. All the schools functioning under various departments like Adi Dravidian and Tribal Welfare Department, Backward, Most Backward and Backward Welfare Department, Hindu Religion and Charitable Institutions Department, Forest Department will be brought under the School Education Department. 


8. All benefits of teachers and staff currently working in these schools will be promoted.


9. An integrated scholarship portal will be created to reduce unnecessary delays in scholarship disbursements by various government departments and to ensure timely payment to eligible students through direct credit into their bank accounts.


10. A library with state-of-art facilities is being set up in Madurai with an area of ​​nearly two lakh square feet and eight floors. The library is being set up for the benefit of all sections like housewives, senior citizens and differently-abled. A colourful library environment that attracts children, a special section with Internet access for competitive students, Braille books for visually impaired readers, air-conditioned meeting rooms, an art gallery that showcases the culture of the South-East, and a magnificent hall where the works of talented artists will be showcased.