Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay launches the 'Thaai Maaman Thanga Mothiram' scheme in Madurai, under which eligible newborns delivered at government hospitals will receive a gold ring. The initiative draws on the traditional role of the maternal uncle while also promoting childbirth in government hospitals. The launch comes days after the Meenakshi Amman Temple consecration and ahead of the Maduranthakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls, as the political contest between TVK and DMK intensifies.