Tamil Nadu Extends Free Breakfast Scheme to Classes VI to VIII in Four Southern Districts

The expanded free breakfast scheme for students of Classes VI to VIII in government and government-aided schools across four southern districts of Tamil Nadu was launched on Tuesday, extending a morning meal programme that until now covered only younger children.

In Tirunelveli district, Collector Anand Mohan inaugurated the scheme and had breakfast with students of K.R. Government Higher Secondary School at Reddiyarpatti, in the presence of Nanguneri MLA Reddiyarpatti V. Narayanan. The Collector said 45,753 students from 1,014 schools in the district were being served breakfast under the first phase. With the expansion to Classes VI to VIII, an additional 32,734 students from 352 schools are now covered, he said.

In Tenkasi district, Collector Ranjeet Singh inaugurated the expanded scheme at Ayikudi Government Higher Secondary School, along with MP Rani Srikumar and MLAs Kalai Kathiravan of Tenkasi and T.M. Rajendran of Kadayanallur. A total of 28,011 students in 256 schools are benefiting — 12,483 students in 181 schools under Phase I and 15,528 students in 75 schools under Phase II.

Minister for Tourism S. Rajesh Kumar launched the scheme at Moosari Government Higher Secondary School in Kanniyakumari district, in the presence of Collector M. Prathap. The Minister said 54,825 students in 921 government and government-aided schools in the district were benefiting following the launch of Phase II.

In the fourth district, Minister for Fisheries A. Srinath inaugurated the expanded scheme at the Corporation Higher Secondary School at Samuelpuram, along with Collector Vishu Mahajan and Corporation Commissioner C. Priyanka. The Minister said 57,259 students in 1,378 schools were covered by the expansion. At each venue, officials and legislators shared the morning meal with students before inspecting the arrangements.

Rice, dal, cooking oil and salt required for preparing the breakfast are supplied by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, while cooperative societies supply wheat, rava and vermicelli. The weekly menu includes pongal with sambar on Mondays and Wednesdays, rava kichadi with sambar on Tuesdays, upma or pongal with sambar on Thursdays, and rava or vermicelli kichadi with sambar on Fridays.

The scheme is being implemented in phases. The first phase covered students of lower classes, and the second phase extends the meal to Classes VI to VIII. The state government has said the breakfast programme is intended to reduce classroom hunger, improve attendance and concentration, and support children whose families leave home early for work.

Tamil Nadu has a long record in school feeding programmes. Its noon meal scheme, introduced in 1982, is widely regarded as a model for the midday meal scheme later adopted across the country. The breakfast scheme was launched in September 2022, and its extension to middle-school classes is expected to bring a large number of older students into the same nutrition net.