Nutritious Breakfast Scheme to Benefit 23 Lakh School Children Across 27,147 Schools
The State government has launched the ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme’ for school children on Friday. The scheme will porovide nutritious breakfast to approximately 23 lakh students from Class 1- 10, across 27,147 government schools in the state. The initiative was inaugurated at various locations across the state by Telangana ministers, including KT Rama Rao, T Harish Rao, Patnam Mahender Reddy, and Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy.
Originally scheduled for an October 24 launch to coincide with Vijaya Dashami, the government advanced the rollout, “The breakfast is nutritious. Taste is also very good,” KT Rama Rao said during the launch.
The scheme has drawn inspiration from a similar initiative in Tamil Nadu, which is limited to students of classes I to V. Telangana has gone a step further by extending it to students up to Class 10. “Telangana was inspired, but wanted to do more,” said KT Rama Rao. The scheme is not just a Telangana first but an Indian first, as it is the only state to offer breakfast to school students from Class 1 to 10.
The scheme will be applicable on all working days and is designed to improve the nutritional status of school-going children, a concern that has long plagued the state. It also aims to reduce the burden on working mothers, encouraging them to send their children to school without worrying about their breakfast, according to a Government Order.
The menu is as diverse as is nutritious, featuring a range of options from Idly-Sambar and Wheat Rava Upma to Poori-Alu Korma and Tomato Bath. The government has even issued a food schedule list, ensuring that students have different food options every working day. On Mondays governement is offering either Idli and Sambar or Daliya and Chutney, while Tuesdays will feature Puri and Alu Kurma or Tomato Bath with Rava and Sambar.
Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy said, “Only two students out of every 10 have breakfast while the rest come to schools on an empty stomach.” The scheme also extends the benefits of the mid-day meal scheme, which is generally limited to students from Classes 1 to 8, to those in Classes 9 and 10 as well.
The scheme was launched simultaneously in select schools by ministers and MLAs in all 119 constituencies of the state.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been entrusted with the task in urban areas, while self-help groups will prepare the meals in rural areas. The scheme is expected to incur an annual cost of about Rs. 400 crore.
- 23 Lakh: Number of students expected to benefit from the scheme.
- 27,147: Total number of government schools across Telangana where the scheme will be implemented.
- Rs. 400 Crore: Estimated annual cost of the scheme.