In a massive arm of helping the government school students in the state to pursue engineering and professional courses, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has unveiled a major announcement of benefitting the students of state-run schools in securing admission to professional courses. In what has become a big relief for the students, the Tamil Nadu government has on Wednesday announced to introduce a 7.5% quota for the government school students in admission to the professional courses in the state akin to the reservation berth awarded to the students in pursuing medical admissions.

The 7.5% quota for the professional courses has come after it was found that the admissions of the government school students in the professional courses were very low. The state government had earlier formed a commission led by retired Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, D Murugesan to study the enrolment ratio of the government school students in professional courses like engineering, agriculture, fisheries, and law and to recommend measures to increase the ratio of the government school students. 

After reviewing the matter, the commission has submitted its report to the government in which it has recommended 7.5% reservation for the government school students in the professional courses. On Wednesday, the state cabinet meeting was convened at the Chief Secretariat and it was chaired by Chief Minister MK Stalin and it had discussed several matters related to the state. The cabinet has then decided to move a bill in the coming Assembly session to provide a 7.5% quota for students from government schools in professional courses. 

According to reports, following the passage of the bill, the reservation will come to effect in the current academic year and it has become a significant driver of increasing the enrolment ratio of the government school students in the colleges. It must be noted that the previous ADMK regime had last year provided a 7.5% quota for students from the government schools in undergraduate medical courses. 

On Wednesday, the state cabinet has decided to roll out the revised budget for 2021-22 on August 13. Assembly Secretary K Srinivasan said that Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has summoned the assembly on August 13. In a press release, the Governor said, "In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by clause (1) of Article 174 of the Constitution of India, I, Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Tamil Nadu, hereby summon the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly to meet at 10 am on Friday, the 13th August 2021, in the Multi-purpose Hall, 3rd Floor, Kalaivanar Arangam, Omandurar Government Estate, Wallajah Salai, Chennai-600002." 

The revised budget will be presented by Palanivel Thiagarajan. Former Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had presented the interim budget for the year 2021-22 on February 23, ahead of the assembly polls. After the DMK has registered a landslide victory by defeating the ADMK, MK Stalin has formed the government and his government will be presenting the revised budget, four months after his victory. The cabinet has also decided to release the white paper on the state's financial situation on August 9. 

As Tamil Nadu is just a month away to host local body elections in the nine districts, it has also been expected that the budget would be presented with several freebies for the public. On an interesting note, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan has prepared the major part of the budget in his writing and it also must be noted that the state government would be presenting a separate agriculture budget, for the first time, from this year as the DMK had promised that it will approach agriculture with utmost priority and to enhance the farming sector.