Vijay's 'Gold Ring' Promise To Women, Children Ahead Of October 6 Bypoll

The "Thaimaman Thanga Mothiram" (Maternal Uncle Gold Ring) scheme will be formally launched on September 28.

18 Sep 2026, 13:50 · NDTV

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay will launch gold ring scheme for newborns in govt hospitals on September 28
Rings will be given to babies born in govt hospitals from June 22 onward, distributed retrospectively
Scheme excluded from Madurantakam and Dharapuram bye-election constituencies due to EC permission

What other welfare promises is Vijay planning to implement?
Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay is set to launch a scheme to gift one-gram gold rings to newborns delivered in government hospitals - a key electoral promise of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government.

The "Thaimaman Thanga Mothiram" (Maternal Uncle Gold Ring) scheme will be formally launched on September 28. However, all babies born in government hospitals from June 22 onwards will be eligible for the benefit, with arrangements made to distribute the rings retrospectively.

According to Election Commission sources, the free gold ring scheme cannot be launched in the two bye-election-bound constituencies of Madurantakam and Dharapuram, as the state government has not obtained the Commission's permission for the scheme. The state has obtained EC clearance only for the expansion of the free breakfast scheme, sources said.

The state government says the scheme is intended to strengthen public confidence in government healthcare, encourage safe hospital deliveries and reflect the Tamil tradition of a maternal uncle gifting gold to a newborn.

According to the government, Tamil Nadu records around 7.8 lakh births annually. Nearly 99.9 per cent of deliveries take place in hospitals, while around 4.2 lakh - or 53 per cent -- occur in government hospitals. The government says this underlines the significant role of the public health system in ensuring safe deliveries and healthy births.

The scheme is open to newborns of mothers who are permanent residents of Tamil Nadu and are registered on PICME with an RCH identification number. Each ring will have a unique serial number and be supplied in tamper-proof packaging. The government says 1.28 lakh rings have already been procured in the first phase.

The announcement comes ahead of the October 6 Assembly bye-elections, at a politically significant time for the minority TVK government. Seven Assembly seats are currently vacant, and the bye-elections are being held in two of these seats. The polls could have implications for the government's numbers as it seeks to move closer to a majority.

From September 22, the rings will be distributed through 107 hubs. Going forward, eligible newborns will receive the gold ring when they leave the government hospital for home.

The government has allocated Rs 755 crore for the scheme in the state budget.

Women and children were an important part of Vijay's transition from a hugely popular film star to a political leader. The gold-ring scheme, therefore, has an obvious political resonance, though the government's stated rationale is focused on maternal and child welfare, public healthcare and Tamil cultural tradition.

The rollout also comes amid the TVK government's repeated claim that it inherited depleted finances from the previous DMK government and that Tamil Nadu's debt is around Rs 10 lakh crore. The scale of expenditure on welfare promises is consequently likely to remain a subject of political debate.

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