Tamil Nadu to Launch Gold Ring Scheme for Newborns Ahead of October 6 Bypolls

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay will formally launch the "Thaimaman Thanga Mothiram" (Maternal Uncle Gold Ring) scheme on September 28, under which one-gram gold rings will be gifted to newborns delivered in government hospitals. The initiative, a key electoral promise of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government, will cover babies born from June 22 onward, with rings distributed retrospectively.

The scheme will not be rolled out in the bye-election-bound constituencies of Madurantakam and Dharapuram, as the state government has not secured the Election Commission's permission for it there. Clearance has been obtained only for expanding the free breakfast scheme, according to poll panel sources.

Eligibility is limited to newborns of mothers who are permanent residents of Tamil Nadu and registered on the PICME platform with an RCH identification number. Each ring will carry a unique serial number and be supplied in tamper-proof packaging. In the first phase, 1.28 lakh rings have been procured, and distribution through 107 hubs will begin on September 22. Going forward, eligible newborns will receive the ring when they are discharged from a government hospital.

The government has allocated Rs 755 crore for the scheme in the state budget. It says the measure is aimed at strengthening confidence in public healthcare, encouraging safe hospital deliveries, and reflecting the Tamil tradition of a maternal uncle gifting gold to a newborn. Tamil Nadu records around 7.8 lakh births annually, with nearly 99.9 per cent taking place in hospitals and about 4.2 lakh, or 53 per cent, in government facilities.

The announcement comes ahead of the October 6 Assembly bye-elections, a politically significant moment for the minority TVK government. Seven Assembly seats are vacant, and polls are being held in two of them, with potential implications for the government's numbers as it seeks to move closer to a majority. Women and children featured prominently in Vijay's transition from film star to political leader, giving the scheme obvious political resonance, though the government frames it around maternal and child welfare.

The rollout also coincides with the government's repeated claim that it inherited depleted finances from the previous DMK government and that Tamil Nadu's debt stands at around Rs 10 lakh crore, making the scale of welfare spending a likely subject of political debate.