Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday, May 14, inaugurated the Kalloori Kanavu programme, aimed at providing career guidance to students who have completed Class 12 this year.

At the event, he distributed shields to 58 candidates who cleared the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exams after undergoing training under the Naan Mudhalvan scheme. Addressing the gathering, Udhayanidhi said Kalloori Kanavu will help one lakh students every year transition into higher education, according to the report by The New Indian Express.

He credited previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) governments for implementing schemes that contributed to Tamil Nadu achieving a high Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education.

Encouraging students to explore emerging fields such as data science, cybersecurity, Artificial INtelligence (AI), and quantum computing, he urged them to pursue areas of interest based on the guidance received through the programme.

Udhayanidhi also criticised the Union government for attempting to introduce entrance exams for all courses, including arts, and reiterated the state’s opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP). School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and senior officials were present, as per the report by The New Indian Express.