Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam: Redefining Artisan Development in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu launches the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam (KKT) to support artisans, rejecting the Centre's PM Vishwakarma Scheme. The state initiative encourages caste inclusivity and promotes education, with financial and skill development support for artisans across 25 traditional trades, aiming to boost entrepreneurship without caste discrimination.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has introduced the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam (KKT), an artisans development scheme named after former CM M Karunanidhi. The initiative, launched in Kundrathur, rejects the Centre's PM Vishwakarma Scheme over its caste-based criteria.

Stalin criticized the Vishwakarma Scheme for encouraging family-based professions, arguing that it discourages higher education. Instead, the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam promotes inclusivity and aims to bring youth to educational portals through financial aid programs like Pudhumai Penn and Tamil Pudhalvan.

The KKT offers financial support, skill development, and entrepreneurship training to artisans, with a focus on 25 handicrafts, not limited to traditional family businesses. The scheme provides loans of up to Rs 3 lakh with a 25% subsidy to encourage entrepreneurship among artisans.

(With inputs from agencies.)