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Tamil Nadu’s progress since 1950
March 7 , 2026
15 hrs 0 min
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- The abolition of hand-rickshaws is a major one, along with other major social reforms initiated in Tamil Nadu by the government.
- The DMK government led by M. Karunanidhi abolished the practice in 1973.
- It was inspired by the ideals of the Dravidian Movement.
- It helped make the State a leader in social justice reforms in India.
- In West Bengal, however, it took another three decades for the State to finally end this inhuman system.
- The Dravidian Movement was initiated and propagated by what the Italian Communist leader Antonio Gramsci would describe as organic intellectuals with an organic ideology.
- After returning from tours of the United States and Japan, Anna told All India Radio (AIR) in 1968 that in a country like India, endowed with abundant manpower, industries and development projects ought to be more labour-oriented than capital-oriented.
- Annadurai also favoured a strong emphasis on agriculture, as the majority of the population depended on it.
- Today, Tamil Nadu is a highly industrialized State, achieving all-round growth across sectors.
- Karunanidhi nationalised transport in Tamil Nadu.
- The laws enacted by the DMK government empowered tenants and agricultural labourers in Tamil Nadu in important ways.
- It consolidated political power among the lower castes.
- One of the most significant measures was the Tenancy Land Record Act of 1969.
- In 1973, the DMK government introduced a law granting tenants the right to purchase all or part of the land, not exceeding five standard acres.
- The Land Reforms Act, amended in 1970, reduced the land ceiling from 30 standard acres to 15.
- These reforms continued even after the AIADMK, led by M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), came to power.
- Amendments to the Tenancy Act in 1979 further reduced rents to 25% and protected tenants against eviction even in cases of rent default during natural calamities.
- The Communist regimes in Kerala and West Bengal implemented similar land reforms.
- MGR’s Nutritious Meal Scheme drew more students to schools and significantly reduced dropout rates.
- MGR paved the way for private engineering colleges and it aids to the capitalization of the Information Technology revolution.
- Jayalalithaa, who assumed leadership of the AIADMK after MGR, remained firm in her commitment to social justice.
- On the issue of reservation, she went a step further by increasing it to 69%.
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