Magalir Urimai Thogai eligibility: who can apply

The Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme gives ₹1,000 a month to eligible women who are recognised as the head of their family in Tamil Nadu. Eligibility is decided by your family details, not by a test you pass, so it helps to check each condition against your own family card before you apply.

The main eligibility conditions

Based on the government’s guidelines, a woman is generally eligible when all of the following are true for her family:

• She is the woman head of the family named on the family (ration) card.
• She is at least 21 years old.
• The annual family income is below ₹2.5 lakh.
• The family owns no more than 5 acres of wetland or 10 acres of dryland.
• The family’s yearly household electricity use is under 3,600 units.
• Only one woman per family card can receive the payment.

Who is usually not eligible

A family is generally left out when a member falls into one of these groups:

• A member pays income tax.
• A member is a government employee (some categories) or receives certain government pensions.
• The family owns a car or other four-wheeler.

Special situations

• Single women with a family card of their own can apply as the head of the family.
• Transgender women with a ration card are eligible to apply.
• If the wife of a male head of family is not listed for some reason, another woman aged 21 or above in the family can be treated as the head.

Once you have checked that you meet these conditions, the next step is the application process. It also helps to keep the required documents ready before you go.