Tamil Nadu: Next leg of Breakfast scheme to benefit 3.05L urban students

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin will inaugurate the expansion of the well-received Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme (CMBFS) here on August 26 to all government-aided primary schools located in urban regions of the state.

The inauguration of the scheme will take place at St Joseph primary school in Mylapore. As many as 3.05 lakh students, from classes 1 to 5, are expected to benefit from the breakfast scheme.

In the upcoming leg of expansion, the CMBFS will be implemented in 2,430 government-aided primary schools located in urban areas.

Since the breakfast scheme was launched by the Stalin government in September 2022, the initiative has been expanded in phases – from government primary schools in rural regions to aided primary schools in urban areas. The scheme is currently active in all state-run primary schools, both government and aided.

According to a government official note, the scheme has been implemented in Telangana and even in Canadian schools.

Noting a rise in the number of malnourished children in the state, the government implemented the scheme based on a high prevalence of anaemia among students, as per the NFHS-5 data in the economically backward blocks, according to the State Balanced Growth Fund (SBGF).

Through the scheme, the government has managed to cover the habitations of tribal populations and remote regions of the state. At present, 1.14 lakh primary school children studying in 1,545 state-run schools benefit from the scheme, sustained at the cost of Rs 33.56 crore. The government expects the number of beneficiaries to further surge.

Through the survey conducted by the state planning commission regarding the implementation of the CMBFS, it was found that the dropout rate among children has drastically reduced. Further, students have improved the retention of lessons and engagement and their focus on learning and classroom activities.