Tamil Nadu Expands Breakfast Scheme to More School Students!

Tamil Nadu has expanded its Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme to include students studying in Classes 6 to 8. The expansion was launched in Chennai, where Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay reportedly served breakfast to students and interacted with them at a government middle school. The scheme is aimed at providing nutritious morning meals and supporting students’ health, attendance and concentration in studies.

The expansion will cover around 1.53 million additional students across 15,454 government and government-aided schools. The state has allocated an additional ₹217.63 crore for the programme during the current financial year, taking its overall budget to around ₹724 crore. The menu includes dishes such as upma, khichdi and pongal, along with millet-based meals on two days a week. Self-help groups and integrated kitchens will also participate in preparing and distributing meals. The expanded programme is temporarily not being implemented in Chengalpattu and Tiruppur due to the Model Code of Conduct linked to elections.