Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Tamil Nadu Announces Third-Child Leave and Welfare Measures
Tamil Nadu’s government announced several new benefits and public programs.
Women working for the state government can now get 365 days of maternity leave for a third child.
A DMK spokesperson said this might move away from the state’s earlier family-planning approach.
Members of the state legislature will receive cars and higher allowances.
Milk producers will be paid more for the milk they sell to the government.
The government will also create thousands of new seats in medical, nursing and paramedical education.
Seven new government nursing colleges will be established.
A new 400-bed hospital will be built in Perambalur.
Health insurance coverage and some specialized medical services will also be expanded.
Tamil Nadu announced 365 days of maternity leave for state government employees having a third child.
DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan criticized the policy, saying it could weaken the state’s family-planning approach.
MLAs will receive government-funded cars, a ₹75,000 monthly vehicle allowance and ₹25,000 assistant allowance.
Milk procurement prices will rise from ₹38 to ₹41 per litre, benefiting more than 3.16 lakh producers.
The government announced expanded medical education, healthcare infrastructure, insurance coverage and transgender healthcare services.
- Who
- The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister Vijay, announced the measures; DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan criticized the maternity-leave decision.
- What
- The government announced extended maternity leave for a third child and a range of measures involving MLAs, milk producers, medical education, hospitals and health insurance.
- When
- The announcements were made on Wednesday.
- Where
- The measures apply across Tamil Nadu, with a new hospital planned for Perambalur and transgender healthcare services offered at facilities in Chennai, Stanley, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Chengalpattu, Thiruvarur, Karur and Kanyakumari.
- Why
- The government said the measures would support milk producers, expand healthcare education and infrastructure, improve access to insurance-funded treatment and provide specialized healthcare services.
Government Policy
DMK Criticism
Third-child maternity leave
Government Policy
The Tamil Nadu government announced that state government employees will receive the same 365-day maternity leave for a third child as for the first two children.
DMK Criticism
DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said Tamil Nadu had promoted a two-child family-planning approach and questioned whether the new policy indicates that the government is abandoning it.
- Third-child maternity leave
- Women state government employees will be entitled to 365 days of maternity leave for a third child.
- MLA vehicle benefits
- Cars will be provided to all MLAs at government expense, with a monthly vehicle allowance of ₹75,000.
- MLA allowances and insurance
- The assistant allowance is set at ₹25,000 per month, and MLA health insurance coverage will rise from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh.
- Milk procurement
- The procurement price will increase from ₹38 to ₹41 per litre, while the government incentive will rise from ₹3 to ₹5 per litre.
- Milk producer impact
- The procurement change is expected to benefit more than 3.16 lakh milk producers and cost the government an additional ₹30 crore per month, or ₹360 crore annually.
- Medical education
- ₹351 crore will fund 6,098 additional seats, including nursing, paramedical and medical-course places; seven government nursing colleges will also be established.
- Healthcare expansion
- A 400-bed multispecialty hospital will be built in Perambalur at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore, while the annual health-insurance treatment limit is proposed to rise from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh.