Tamil Nadu: School breakfast scheme renamed after ‘Perunthalaivar Kamarajar’

The Tamil Nadu government renamed the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme on July 22. The scheme is now to be known as the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme.

A government order (GO) to this effect was reportedly issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment on July 15, which is late Tamil Nadu CM Kamaraj’s birthday. The ruling TVK identifies Kamaraj as one of their ideological leaders. 

The Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme was launched by the DMK in September 2022. Overseen by former CM MK Stalin himself, the breakfast scheme was widely welcomed. Working alongside the Mid Day Meal Scheme, it ensured that primary school children had two healthy meals a day. 

It was initially rolled out in 1,543 government primary schools – classes 1 to 5 – at a budget of Rs 33.56 crore (Rs 12.75 per child, per day). In March 2023, then finance minister Palanivel Thiyagarajan announced that the scheme would be extended to all 30,122 government primary schools across the state at a budget of Rs 500 crore for the year.

At present, the scheme reportedly benefits over 19 lakh students in 37,447 government and government-aided schools. As per reports, the scheme is set to be expanded to cover more than 15 lakh students in classes 6 to 8.