CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday announced that the government would allocate land to establish a training school to promote traditional folk art forms in Valayangulam village in Thiruparankundram taluk of Madurai. Addressing the third convocation of the Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University in Chennai, the CM said the decision was taken after considering a request from Parai artiste R Velmurugan.

At the ceremony, honorary doctorates were conferred on artiste Chandru and actor Sivakumar. Stalin, who is the chancellor of the university, also unveiled a series of academic and institutional initiatives aimed at strengthening music and fine arts education in the state.

He announced a new PG programme in Fine Arts, to be launched from the 2026-27 academic year to help students enhance their artistic skills and improve their earning potential. He further announced that the annual financial assistance to the university will be increased from `3 crore to `5 crore.

The Naan Mudhalvan skill development programme would be expanded to cover music and fine arts students, equipping them with spoken English and digital literacy to meet emerging professional demands, the CM said.

Addressing concerns about the rise of Artificial Intelligence in creative fields, he reassured students that technology could not overshadow human imagination. “Technology may generate portraits or compose tunes, but it cannot surpass human thought. We must use it to our advantage,” he said.

Stalin said his government has not discriminated against the university despite its association with former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and the institution has seen continued development since 2021.