Chennai (Tamil Nadu)

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran on Tuesday sparked debate by claiming that in northern states, girls are often expected to stay at home and do household work, while Tamil Nadu encourages girls to study and pursue their careers.

While addressing the students in Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women, Maran praised Tamil Nadu as the best state in India and lauded Chief Minister MK Stalin.

"It's Tamil Nadu, the best state in India, and MK Stalin is the best Chief Minister among Indian states. This is a Dravidian model government, and it was our Periyar who ignited Dravidianism in our state. He emphasised that girls should study, and our CM is working based on his principles," Maran said.

"Our girl students should be proud, and we are proud of them. That's why we want girls' children to study. In North Indian states, they ask girl children not to go to a job, ask them to stay inside their house and do housework holds but we wanted our girl children to study," he said.

The state's Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin distributed laptops to students of Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women under the Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil scheme today.

He praised the students for their social responsibility and highlighted the college's long history and contributions to girls' education.

Addressing the students, Stalin said, "Today, I am happy to distribute laptops to all of you students. I wish you a very Happy New Year and Pongal. It is often said that once girls complete their education, they contribute significantly to society. We are proud of all our girl students. This educational institute has a rich history. In 1974, Karunanidhi named this college Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women, opened new buildings, and provided extensive infrastructure."

Stalin distributed laptops to 900 final-year students of Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women.

He said the government has allocated Rs 2.5 crore for the initiative and emphasised that girls should use the laptops for education, not social media, to achieve greater success.

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"Recently, Rs 2.5 crore was allocated to this college, and today I have the privilege of distributing laptops to all of you. A total of 900 final-year students will receive laptops today. According to our Chief Minister, a total of 10 lakh students are expected to receive laptops this year. Previously, laptops were distributed in schools, but the scheme was stopped in 2019. Our CM wanted to extend this to college students, ensuring that technology and quality are not compromised," he said.

"Periyar once said that vessels should be taken away from girls and books should be given instead. Today, our CM is not only giving laptops to girl students but is emphasising the importance of their education. Girls need to be educated, and our government is committed to this cause. I urge you to use these laptops primarily for your studies, not just for YouTube, Reels, or social media. Everything provided to girl children should be used effectively. My wish for you is that you achieve even more than men in your fields of endeavour," he said.