(This article is authored by Alar)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has on Saturday- June 25 launched a programme 'Kalloori Kanavu' (College Dream) under the Nan Mudhalvan scheme of the state government. The College Dream initiative will be a career guidance programme for the students who had clear Class 12 on pursuing their higher education in colleges. 

The event of launching the scheme was held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai and it was attended by thousands of students from government and non-government schools across the state. Attending the event, Chief Minister MK Stalin has launched the 'Kalloori Kanavu' programme, which will counsel the students whose next step is entering the college. The first-of-its-kind initiative would strengthen the enrolment of students in colleges by showering proper career guidance. 

The Kalloori Kanavu scheme would be held in all districts on June 29, 30, and July 1 and 2. The main objective of the scheme is to guide the students by showcasing the various college options to choose from and courses to pursue, and offer valuable guides about education loans, entrance exams, and scholarships. Chief Minister MK Stalin launched and spoke about the guidance programme and stated that the students are the intellectual property of this state. 

Highlighting the notable people who studied at the government schools, the Chief Minister said Tamil Nadu's Chief Secretary Irai Anbu, DGP Sylendra Babu, Former ISRO Chief Shivan, and Chandrayaan fame Mayilsamy Annadurai have studied at the government schools. Stalin said, "Being studied at a government school or a government-aided school, they are quintessential in their fields. There are very good examples before our eyes that we can definitely progress even if we study in Tamil medium in a government school." 

"You must not forget that our Dravidian movement is a movement created for everyone to read. Social justice is the door to it! Of the states in the Indian subcontinent, no other state has an education policy similar to that of Tamil Nadu. The 'Naan Mudhalvan' project is a plan to further refine this and make Tamil Nadu the best in education. The 'Kalloori Kanavu' scheme is organized according to that plan", he added. 

He further said, "Even if you say that you will not have restrictions as much as you did in schools, the responsibilities for you will become greater during college. It should not be forgotten. So, I urge you to use your schooling time carefully as well as your college days. A heartfelt request to the students and parents of Tamil Nadu. Engineering and medicine are the best courses. But, don’t stop with just those two dreams. Today opportunities abound in all fields. The chances of success are high as you study and progress in every field and give hard work."

Talking about the institutions in Tamil Nadu, he said, "There are many educational institutions in Tamil Nadu. I would like to proudly register here that if you select 100 colleges as top colleges in India, 30 of them are in Tamil Nadu. So there are a lot of opportunities for everyone to get a college degree easily. But you can only shine and shine if you have the talent to go beyond that. It takes self-confidence. We must have the courage to do what we can. We must have good language skills and must be able to read, write and speak in our native Tamil, which may be Tamil, and in English, which may be the world language."

"At the same time, it is very important that it should be rational and should not be forgotten. The nature of caste, religion, money, power, age, experience, family, position, nations, and development all vary from person to person, time to time, and country to country. But knowledge alone transcends all and is measured by the same scale. This show is not just a show of guidance! This is an event that has sculpted Tamil Nadu youth into winners in every field, be it education, sports, arts or technology", he added.