Tamil Nadu Expands Breakfast Scheme to Classes 6–8; 15.3 Lakh Students to Benefit

 

CHENNAI — Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is set to launch the expansion of the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme to cover upper primary students in Classes 6 to 8 starting September 22.

The rollout, finalized following a review meeting at the Secretariat, extends the state's flagship nutrition initiative to an additional 15.30 lakh students across 15,454 government and government-aided schools.

The state government has earmarked an additional ₹217.63 crore for the expansion, bringing the scheme’s total annual budget to ₹724 crore. Designed to improve child nutrition, boost school attendance, and enhance classroom concentration by ensuring students start their school day with a warm, wholesome meal.

The state will deploy a decentralized cooking and distribution network tailored to urban and rural needs:

1.  Integrated kitchens will serve 447 schools under the Greater Chennai Corporation.
2. The Directorate of Municipal Administration will manage kitchen facilities for 2,150 urban schools.
3. In 12,857 rural schools, Self-Help Group (SHG) members will prepare food on school premises under the supervision of the Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation.

Chief Minister Vijay directed administrative officials and ground staff to maintain strict sanitation standards across all cooking, preparation, and serving areas. Instructing inspectors to monitor food preparation directly, the Chief Minister emphasized that meals must be delivered to students "hot, tasty, and nutritious" every school day.