CHENNAI: The TVK government on Wednesday revived and rebranded the free laptop programme for college students as the 'Vetri Laptop Scheme', while simultaneously reiterating its opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and unveiling a major student hostel initiative in its maiden budget.
The laptop scheme, which got an allocation of Rs 2,000 crore, is a continuation of the 'Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil' (The World in Your Hands) programme launched by the previous DMK government earlier this year to distribute laptops to 10 lakh college students in phases. While the scheme has been renamed, its objective remains unchanged: improving digital access, enhancing technical skills and enabling students to participate in online learning and skill development programmes.
Presenting the budget, the finance minister, N Marie Wilson, said laptops had become indispensable tools for higher education, helping students access digital resources and improve their employability in an increasingly technology-driven economy. He said the laptops will be distributed to all college students, while the previous government had distributed laptops only to undergraduate first-year students.
The government also renewed its demand for the abolition of NEET, urging the Union government to restore medical admissions based on Class 12 board examination marks. It said repeated irregularities and question paper leaks in the national entrance examination had severely affected students' higher education prospects and reiterated Tamil Nadu's long-standing stand against the common entrance test.
In another major announcement, the government proposed setting up the Tamil Nadu Student Housing and Infrastructure Corporation (TNSHIC) as a Special Purpose Vehicle to create modern student accommodation across the State. Under the TN-SUDAR (State Upgradation, Development and Advancement of Student Residences) initiative, 200 integrated student hostels with one lakh beds will be established in major educational hubs.
The Rs 3,200-crore project will be implemented through the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) public-private partnership model, with the State providing a 20% capital construction grant of Rs 640 crore over the next two financial years. The hostels will feature air-conditioned study spaces, hygienic kitchens, round-the-clock security and an automated allocation system designed to promote diversity and equitable access.
The government also announced that a specialised Government Law College, envisioned as a School of Excellence in Law, will be established in Madurai from the 2027-28 academic year with an intake of 300 students.
A total of Rs 8,393 crore has been allocated to the higher education department in the budget, which is almost Rs 200 crore less than the interim budget presented by the previous DMK government. The last government had allocated Rs 8,505 crore for the higher education department.