Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay made a strong pitch for enhanced support from the Centre at the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog Thursday, affirming the state’s commitment to cooperative federalism and making specific demands for its development.
Vijay asked the central government for funding and policy support for a statewide Youth Skill and Employment Mission to train five lakh youngsters annually in emerging technologies like AI, cybersecurity, EVs, and semiconductors, and the elevation of the Kulasekarapattinam facility into a national space manufacturing hub.
He also called for the release of pending funds under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and new infrastructure projects, including a second AIIMS in Coimbatore, Chennai-Kanniyakumari high speed rail corridor, among others.
Vijay, who also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the meeting, reiterated Tamil Nadu’s demand for NEET exemption and said the state’s goal is to become a $1.5 trillion economy by 2036.
He further appealed to the Centre to declare classic Tamil text Thirukkural as “national literature”. Written by poet-saint Thiruvalluvar, the text addresses personal conduct, social life, governance, justice, leadership, friendship and family life, and PM Modi has often quoted from it in his speeches in the state. Its couplets have been translated into about 80 languages so far.
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What CM wants
Vijay’s has proposed a Youth Skill and Employment Mission, aimed at benefiting around five lakh youngsters every year. The TVK government, leading the initiative, is seeking the Centre’s support to establish emerging technology skill centres in every district, with a strong emphasis on cutting-edge areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep tech, cybersecurity, Electric Vehicle (EV) technology and semiconductors.
These centres would provide industry-linked training to youngsters and stipend-supported internships, and address the growing demand for skilled manpower in high-growth sectors. The initiative aims to empower the state’s youth with future-ready skills to gain employment opportunities.
Vijay also urged the Centre to declare the space manufacturing hub at Kulasekarapattinam, being developed in collaboration with Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), as a national space manufacturing hub. He said it would enable end-to-end manufacturing, from propellants to launch vehicles and help India tap into the global space economy more effectively.
The facility is being constructed over 9.5 sqkm since March 2025. Officially called the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) Launch Complex, it is being developed as the country’s second space launch site, and will primarily handle launches of SSLV missions to sun-synchronous polar orbit. The facility is expected to support up to 25 SSLV launches annually once operational.
The project is positioned as a strategic asset for Tamil Nadu as it will potentially boosting aerospace manufacturing, innovation, and related supply chains in the state.
Vijay further urged the Centre for the development of a Chennai-Kanniyakumari high speed rail corridor which should cut down the travel time between Chennai and Kanyakumari. The distance between the two is approximately 717-742 km, and the journey takes around 12 to 13 hours by the fastest trains available as of now.
The rail corridor will pass through Villupuram, Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelveli, and Nagercoil, if developed, and would cover urban and industrial centres in southern Tamil Nadu. A high-speed rail corridor is expected to cut down the travel time by more than 50%.
Besides this, Vijay asked for immediate release of Rs 3,284 crore pending under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, without conditions tying to the New Education Policy or three-language formula. The previous DMK regime had also approached the central government for release of funds maintaining that it will not accept schemes like PM SHRI and the three-language formula.
While AIIMS Madurai remains under construction, the CM sought sanction for a second AIIMS in Coimbatore, a demand that was already presented to the Centre by previous health minister Ma Subramanian.
On the infrastructure front, Vijay also requested approval for highway projects including six-laning of GST Road stretches, and sought support for coastal flood mitigation and protection of fishermen’s rights in the Palk Bay.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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