Tamil Nadu Launches ID Cards & Rs 3,500 Crore Loan Scheme for SHG Women.

In September 2025, Tamil Nadu (TN) Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin launched the distribution of Identification (ID) cards and sanctioned loans worth ₹3,500 crore for Self-Help Group (SHG) women at Karuppur Engineering College, Salem. With this, Tamil Nadu became the first Indian state to issue ID cards to SHG women.

      - Tamil Nadu has become the first state in India to introduce official ID cards for SHG women, ensuring recognition, easy access to welfare schemes, and priority support in government initiatives.

      - Loans worth ₹3,500 crore were disbursed to SHG women during the event, strengthening financial inclusion and empowering women entrepreneurs across the state.

Main Point :-   (i) ID card holders can avail free transportation of their products up to 100 km in government buses and receive discounts at state-run outlets like Aavin (milk products), Cooptex (handloom textiles), and Mudhalvar Marundhagam (low-cost pharmacies).

      (ii) Tamil Nadu pioneered the SHG movement in 1989 under former CM Kalaignar Karunanidhi, when the first women’s SHG was introduced in Dharmapuri. This legacy continues with Udhayanidhi Stalin’s initiative to enhance women’s economic empowerment.

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