TN mulls to provide breakfast for students taking noon meal

Accordingly, at present, the nutritious meal scheme is being provided to about 49.85 lakh students in over 43,000 centres across the State.

A senior official from the School Education Department revealed to DT Next that the government is planning to provide breakfast to the students under the nutritious meal scheme. He said, the main objective for the extension of the scheme is to maximise the enrolment and reduce school dropout rates with an aim to universalise the education.

“The objective of the introduction of the breakfast is also to provide additional nutrition to the under fed and under nourished children,” he said adding, “This will also encourage the children from disadvantage backgrounds to attend the school regularly and will help them in attaining formal education.”

Stating that the authorities are in the process of selecting the breakfast menu for the students, the official said that the food items such as Idly, Pongal and Chappathi would be present. “Authorities also think that even fruits will be a good choice to be provided along with the breakfast,” he said.

He stated that the new measure to extend the nutritious meal scheme is expected to cost the exchequer to the tune of more than Rs 500 crore. “Feasibility study is being conducted so that exact data can be arrived to recruit additional cooks and meal organisers besides getting the list of kitchen equipment to be purchased,” he said adding, “Nutrition experts will also be involved to derive the total number of calories and protein that has to be given to the children”.

The official said that district and block officials would be appointed to inspect the nutritious meal centres for checking the quality of food cooked and served during breakfast.

The existing nutritious noon-meal programme initially covered children only of age groups 2 and 5 years in anganwadis and 5 to 9 years in primary schools. However, the scheme was extended to the children in the age group of 10-15.