CHENNAI: Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said the number of candidates clearing the civil services examinations from Tamil Nadu has been steadily going up since 2023 due to the Naan Mudhalvan scheme.
During the zero hour in the Assembly, Udhayanidhi said until 2016, an average of 100 students from Tamil Nadu were clearing the UPSC examinations. However, after 2016, the number declined, and in 2021, only 27 from TN cleared the tests.
“To reverse this, the competition examination section under Naan Mudhalvan scheme was launched in 2023. Under this programme, 1,000 aspirants preparing for the UPSC preliminary examination were provided with a monthly stipend of Rs 7,500 for 10 months based on a selection test. Similarly, candidates preparing for the mains received Rs 25,000,” he said.
“In the first year of launching the scheme (2023-24), a total of 47 candidates from Tamil Nadu cleared the examination, marking an increase of nearly 30% compared to the previous years. This year, 57 candidates from the state have cleared the examination. Of them, 50 had received financial assistance under the scheme,” Udhayanidhi said.
“Sivachandran, a beneficiary of the Naan Mudhalvan scheme, secured the first rank in Tamil Nadu in the UPSC exam and the 23rd rank at the national level. Similarly, Monica achieved the 39th rank at the national level,” the deputy CM said, adding that `50,000 per candidate would be given for travelling to New Delhi for the interview.