Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday launched the ruling DMK’s pioneering and the flagship Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme in government-aided schools for students of Classes 1 to 5 at Keezhacheri in neighbouring Tiruvallur district, coinciding with the 122nd birth anniversary of former Chief Minister K.Kamaraj.
After paying floral tributes to a portrait of Mr Kamaraj to mark the ocasion, Mr Stalin launched the third phase of this path-breaking scheme at a school in the district in the presence of Ministers, senior government officials and district authorities.
Mr Stalin personally served the breakfast to the students, fed and par took with them.
He also interacted with them and enquired about their well being after expanding this revolutionary scheme in line with the announcement made in the Budget presented in the State Assembly in February this year by Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu.
Official sources said the scheme would benefit a total of 2,23,536 students in 3,995 government-aided primary schools.
The first phase of the scheme was launched in 2022 and the second phase in 2023.
According to a study by the State Planning Commission, this revolutionary scheme, introduced by the DMK’s Dravidian Model government, has not only increased the enrollment ratio, but also improved attendance and aptitude.
This path-breaking scheme was first launched on September 15, 2022 and a total of 1.14 lakh students in 1,545 schools benefitted from it in the first phase.
Buoyed by the encouraging response received from the people, the scheme was expanded and subsequently launched in Tirukuvalai, the birthplace of late Chief Minister and DMK Patriarch M.Karunanidhi, by Mr Stalin on August 25, 2023. It has benefitted 18.50 lakh students studying in 30,992 government primary schools across the State.
And today Mr Stalin further expanded this scheme to government-aided schools benefitting 2,23,536 students in the third phase.
Under the scheme, students of Classes 1 to 5 will be given breakfast on all working days with the menu ranging from Idli, Uppuma, Kitchadi, Pongal along with Chutney and Sambar.
The scheme is aimed at improving nutrition, increasing enrollment and attendance, besides improving learning ability among students.
It may be recalled that Mr Thennarasu while presenting the 2024-25 Budget said “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come”.
This timeless phrase of French literary doyen, Victor Hugo, has been brought to life by Mr Stalin in the 21st century.
The flagship schemes of Mid-Day Meal scheme and Nutritious Meal Programme continue to be effectively implemented in the State.
However, several scholars and nutritionists for long have been requesting to introduce a breakfast scheme as many students attend school without having breakfast, resulting in malnutrition and an inability to concentrate in studies.
“But, Time waited for our Chief Minister to script history. Founded on the principles of social justice, the flagship scheme of this Dravidian model Government, the Chief Minister‟s Breakfast Scheme‟ was inaugurated at Madurai in 2022 on the birth anniversary of Perarignar Anna (late Chief Minister and DMK Founder C N Annadurai), and later expanded in 2023 to all the 30,992 Government schools from classes I to V, benefiting more than 15 lakh students”, he said.
Research studies indicate that the implementation of this scheme has led to an improvement in attendance, nutritional levels and learning outcomes of the students.
To uphold the noble vision of the Chief Minister, who proclaimed, “We are willing to make any sacrifice to ensure widespread access to school education, foster enjoyable learning experiences,
and ensure students learn without hunger”, the scope of this scheme will be broadened to encompass Government-aided schools in rural areas of the State starting from the upcoming academic year, thus benefiting around 2.5 lakh students enrolled from Classes I to V.
In the next financial year, an allocation of Rs.600 crore will be earmarked towards this initiative, he had said.
