Chennai, July 23:
In a significant move, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to name its flagship free breakfast programme after former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, while also announcing its expansion to cover students of Classes 6 to 8 from September 17.
A government order issued by Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department Secretary M Pallavi Baldev stated that the expanded Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme will benefit 15,14,274 students studying in 15,454 government schools across the State. The government has allocated ₹217.63 crore for the expansion.
The order, dated July 15—Kamaraj’s birth anniversary—underscores the symbolic significance of the decision. The expanded scheme will be launched on September 17, marking the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon Periyar E V Ramasamy.
Officials said the scheme will be implemented in 447 schools in Chennai under the supervision of the Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner, while district collectors will monitor rollout in other regions. The existing menu, operational guidelines, and monitoring mechanisms will remain unchanged.
The breakfast scheme was originally conceived and launched in 2022 by the then Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and currently serves nutritious morning meals to 19.34 lakh primary school students in government schools.
Under the programme, students are provided with dishes such as upma, kichadi, or pongal on weekdays, with sweet items like rava kesari or semiya kesari served on Fridays. Millets sourced locally are included in the menu at least twice a week. The State spends over ₹12.71 per child per day on the breakfast.
The decision is also seen as politically significant, as it is likely to strengthen ties with the Congress, a key ally in the ruling coalition, by honouring one of its most iconic leaders.