CM Stalin’s breakfast scheme: How Tamil Nadu is ensuring no child goes to school hungry
The Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme was launched on September 15, 2022, in Madurai as a pilot programme to improve nutrition and classroom concentration among young students. It aims to ensure no child attends school on an empty stomach.
Within a year, the scheme was scaled up to cover nearly 30,000 government schools, reaching 18.5 lakh children. On July 15, 2024, coinciding with former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj’s birth anniversary, it was extended to 3,995 rural government-aided schools, benefitting 2.23 lakh students.
The latest phase launched on Tuesday focuses on urban aided schools, covering 2,430 institutions and adding nearly 3.05 lakh new beneficiaries. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated this phase at St. Susaiyappar Primary School in Mylapore, Chennai, personally serving breakfast to students. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann attended as chief guest, alongside Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Scheme details
The state government has earmarked around Rs 600 crore for the project, including strengthening kitchen infrastructure and adapting menus to student preferences. Feedback from schools has led to menu changes, such as replacing rice upma with pongal in some areas.
Revenue Secretary P. Amudha said the scheme now benefits nearly 88 per cent of primary school children in government and aided schools. Participation exceeds 90 per cent in rural areas and about 85 per cent in urban regions. “This initiative has not only increased student attendance but also improved learning levels and health indicators,” she said.
Impact and recognition
Chief Minister Stalin described the scheme as “not just a meal, but an investment in the future of Tamil Nadu.” With the latest expansion, the programme now reaches more than 20.5 lakh students in Classes I to V across government and aided primary schools.
The Tamil Nadu model has drawn national and international recognition. States like Telangana have taken steps to replicate it, while Canada has adapted the concept nationally.
With IANS inputs