Chennai: In a significant initiative towards inclusive employment, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday handed appointment letters to seven transgender individuals. This event symbolises the formal recruitment of 50 transgender youths into the Tamil Nadu Home Guards. According to official sources, the selected candidates have undergone specialised training to equip them for their roles within the state’s auxiliary security forces, ensuring they serve to their full potential.
The decision to include transgender persons in the Home Guards aligns with the Tamil Nadu Government’s transgender policy implemented in 2025. The policy aims to integrate the transgender community into the mainstream by providing them with employment opportunities across various government departments. It recognises the right to self-identification and recommends amendments to inheritance laws to secure property rights for transgender individuals.
Government data reveals that since 2021, over 811 transgender people in Tamil Nadu have received support for self-employment initiatives. Beneficiaries are provided subsidies of up to ₹50,000 to start small businesses or trades. Additionally, the state government has increased the monthly pension for transgender persons to ₹1,500. Students from the community also benefit from the ‘Pudhumai Pen’ scholarship scheme, receiving ₹1,000 per month to support their education.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Stalin also distributed enhanced financial assistance cheques of ₹2,000 to twelve beneficiaries, including retired employees and family pensioners associated with temples, under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department. Notably, this is the first time such aid has been extended to pensioners receiving Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) or family pension.
Further highlighting state achievements in employment, Stalin presented appointment orders at a mega private sector job fair organised by the Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department. These fairs provide valuable opportunities for youths to secure jobs in various private companies.
The financial support is timed ahead of the upcoming harvest festival in January. Recently, the government distributed ₹3,000 in cash assistance along with gift packages containing rice, sugar, and sugarcane. These relief measures benefit over 2.2 crore ration card holders in Tamil Nadu, offering significant aid to low-income families and farmers.
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