KMUT supported beneficiaries with food, medicines, and children’s education: State Planning Commission report

Impact assessment of Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (KMUT) in about 10,300 households across Tamil Nadu by the State Planning Commission found that beneficiaries used the scheme for purchasing essential food items and medicines and for their children’s education, among others.

Approximately 17% of KMUT beneficiaries (covered in the study) were single women (widowed, separated, divorced or unmarried) and approximately 15% were senior citizens.

The report on impact assessment of KMUT was presented to Chief Minister MK Stalin by SPC’s official vice-president Udhayanidhi Stalin and SPC administrative vice-president J. Jeyaranjan in Chennai on Tuesday (October 14, 2025).

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They also submitted other reports to the Prime Minister like ‘Evaluation of Naan Mudhalvan Programme’, ‘Startup Ecosystem in TN: Opportunities and Challenges’, ‘Draft Housing Policy for Rural and Urban Tamil Nadu’ and ‘Integrated Districts Development Policy’.

Findings

The report said that 79% of KMUT beneficiaries in rural Tamil Nadu and 55% in urban parts of the state reported purchasing more vegetables for their families, while 63% of beneficiaries in rural areas and 46% in urban areas spent their KMUT money to buy better quality rice.

About 39% of beneficiaries in rural Tamil Nadu and 35% in urban Tamil Nadu report using KMUT money to purchase medicines. “One fifth of beneficiaries report spending their KMUT money on their children’s education,” the report said.

It was stated that every woman interviewed as a KMUT beneficiary vouched for the accuracy and regularity of the amount. The findings were “clearly indicative that the program was reaching the most deserving and marginalized in Tamil Nadu.”

Naan Mudhalvan Plan

Another report titled ‘Evaluation of Naan Mudhalvan Programme’ stated that the program has increased employability confidence among students in the state. Approximately 76% of engineering students and 81% of polytechnic students reported that their job prospects increased because the program provided them with practical skills for a variety of career paths.

The evaluation study sample targeted high-enrollment courses in civil, mechanical, electronics, electrical and computer science disciplines at 55 engineering and 72 polytechnic colleges in 19 regions, with student participation of 3,950 and 5,059, respectively.

It was stated that approximately 61 percent of engineering students and 71 percent of technical school students earned digital certificates that increase their visibility on job portals and professional social networking platforms. The program resulted in improved placement preparation, tangible internship and placement outcomes, and equitable skills development across regions.

The report also noted some operational challenges. If institutions did not have a minimum enrollment of 60 students, students had to travel to central institutions. The need for capacity building among instructors, data connectivity to use the programme’s portal, better onboarding to reduce scheduling challenges were among the challenges pointed out in the report.

The report recommended strengthening instructor capacity and course delivery, improving digital infrastructure and connectivity, improving practical training and resource access, optimizing coordination and planning, establishing Industry 4.0 centers and using artificial intelligence.

The draft housing policy addresses the urgent need for sustainable, inclusive and affordable housing in both rural and urban areas of the state, a press release said. A copy of the policies was not available. This will be a draft policy and a “confidential document” until relevant departments approve and publish it, a source said.