Tamil Nadu CM Stalin Raises Stipends for 363 Students in Temple Training Schools

Chennai, Nov 2025 — Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin distributed the newly increased stipend cheques to students undergoing full-time and part-time training in temple-run training schools under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.

At an event held at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister handed over bank orders for the enhanced stipends—₹10,000 for 297 full-time trainees and ₹5,000 for 66 part-time trainees, benefiting a total of 363 students enrolled across 18 temple-related training institutions. These schools provide training in various disciplines such as priesthood, Odhuvar singing, Thavil and Nadaswaram, Divya Prabandham, and Veda–Agama studies.

The HR&CE Department, in addition to managing temples and places of worship, also runs educational institutions, training schools, orphanages, senior citizen care homes, mental health shelters, and hospitals. Among these, 18 specialised training schools operate under temple administration:

• 6 Archakar (priest) training schools
• 6 Odhuvar training schools
• 3 Thavil–Nadaswaram training schools
• 2 Veda–Agama schools
• 1 Divya Prabandham school

Students in these institutions receive food, clothing, accommodation, and a monthly stipend. Originally, in 2022, stipends stood at ₹1,000 for full-time students and ₹500 for part-time students. They were later raised to ₹3,000 and ₹1,500 respectively, based on the State Budget announcement for 2022–23.

In honour of the birth centenary of former Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi—who launched landmark welfare schemes for temple priests and communities—the stipends were again raised in November 2023 to ₹4,000 (full-time) and ₹2,000 (part-time).

As per the 2025–26 Budget announcement for the HR&CE Department, the stipend has now been significantly increased to ₹10,000 for full-time trainees and ₹5,000 for part-time trainees, effective this year.

The new stipend orders were ceremonially handed over by Chief Minister Stalin to selected beneficiaries today.

The event was attended by Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister for HR&CE P.K. Sekarbabu, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena, HR&CE Commissioner P.N. Sridhar, and other senior officials.