Chennai, Mar 14 (Reporter) In a path breaking initiative, the Tamil Nadu government will be inducting Transgenders as Home Guards, besides extending Rs 1,000 per month assistance scheme to their students, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said on Friday. Presenting the Budget for the year 2025-26 in the State Assembly, he said Tamil Nadu is a frontrunner in the country in successful implementation of several innovative schemes for the welfare of the third gender. To ensure their socio-economic development and success in life, it is essential for them to pursue higher education. Therefore, the scheme of providing a monthly scholarship of Rs.1,000 to students pursuing higher education under the Puthumai Penn and Tamil Puthalvan Scheme will be extended to them as well, Mr Thennarasu said. This Government firmly believes that a dignified life can be ensured only by creating awareness among transgenders and providing them with equal opportunities in employment. As a pioneering measure towards this noble objective, it has been planned to provide transgenders with appropriate training and induct them in the Home Guard Force to carry out tasks such as traffic management and crowd control during festival seasons, he said. In the first phase, this pilot project will be implemented with 50 transgenders in Chennai, Tambaram and Avadi cities. The remuneration, training and uniform will be provided to them on par with the Home Guards, he said. Through this pioneering initiative, a dignified life will be ensured for the transgenders, affording them an opportunity to integrate with the mainstream society, he added...////...