- The breakfast scheme, according to social activists and political observers, is yet another milestone in Tamil Nadu’s history after the success of the mid-day meal scheme
- In the first phase, 417 schools located in municipal corporations, 163 schools in municipalities, 728 schools in village panchayats, and 237 schools in interior villages and hilly areas will be covered under the scheme at a cost of Rs 34 crores.
NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, SEP 15
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the free breakfast scheme for students from classes 1 to 5 across the state, at an event in Madurai on Thursday. The scheme, being rolled out on DMK founder and Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai’s birthday, will benefit as many as 1.4 lakh students from 1,545 schools.
"தம்பி! உன்னைத்தான் தம்பி…" என அரசியல் விழிப்புணர்வூட்டி, முற்போக்குச் சிந்தனைகளால் தமிழினத்தை மீட்ட அண்ணன் – ஈன்றெடுத்த தமிழன்னைக்குப் பெயர்சூட்டிய பெருமகன் – நம் தமிழ்நாட்டின் தலைமகன், பேரறிஞர் அண்ணா அவர்களை வணங்கி, என்றும் தமிழ்நாட்டு நலனுக்காக உழைத்திட உறுதியேற்போம்! pic.twitter.com/P6FV9536yU
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 15, 2022
Incidentally, mid-day meal scheme was launched by launched by Karma Veerar Kamarajar when he was the chief minster to woo poor children to schools.
TNBreakfast Scheme.#TNBreakfast#CMMKStalin #TNDIPR @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @mp_saminathan pic.twitter.com/ZpXSxmBGNb
— TN DIPR (@TNDIPRNEWS) September 15, 2022
In a state like Tamil Nadu, the mid-day meal scheme during MGR regime, along with the additions made by chief ministers like Karunanidhi and Jayalaithaa, have only turned their vote banks more nutritious over the years. For Stalin who harps on federalism, pluralism, social justice and equality, the breakfast scheme could be just the beginning of nutrition being added to his political path as chief minister.
#LIVE: பேரறிஞர் அண்ணாவின் பிறந்தநாளில் காலை உணவுத் திட்டம் தொடக்கம் https://t.co/Vk54sVMPTT
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 15, 2022
The government has asked district administrations across the state to ensure that the scheme is launched without any hiccups in the first phase, and reaches the needy. In a letter to the district collectors and administrative officers, Shambu Kallolikar, principal secretary social welfare department, asked them to select one school in each corporation, municipality, panchayat and hilly areas from the list of schools shortlisted as per GO no 43 of the department, and launch the scheme with the ministers and elected people’s representatives, reports The Week.
“நீதிக்கட்சியின் தலைவர்களில் ஒருவரான சர் பிட்டி தியாகராயர் அவர்கள் பள்ளிகளில் மதிய உணவு வழங்கும் திட்டம் தொடங்க தீர்மானம் நிறைவேற்றிய ஒரு நூற்றாண்டுக்குப் பிறகு நாம் காலை உணவு வழங்கும் திட்டத்தை நிறைவேற்றி இருக்கிறோம்” என மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். pic.twitter.com/yAXrGgjhoF
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) September 15, 2022
In the first phase, 417 schools located in municipal corporations, 163 schools in municipalities, 728 schools in village panchayats, and 237 schools in interior villages and hilly areas will be covered under the scheme at a cost of Rs 34 crores.
In a state which has been the pioneer in social welfare measures, health and education, Stalin has chosen to add another feather in the cap. “Children are the future of any society. I have come across children who can stay back in school to study, even if they get a biscuit or a snack after school hours. This scheme will do wonders. It can change the future of one whole generation,” said RC Saraswathi, headmistress at the Ashok Nagar girls high school in Chennai. It was here that Stalin announced the DMK government’s plan to launch the breakfast scheme.
“பள்ளிக்கு பசியோடு படிக்க வரும் பிள்ளைகளுக்கு முதலில் உணவு வழங்கிய பிறகு வகுப்பறைக்குச் செல்லும் வாய்ப்பை நாம் ஏற்படுத்தித் தந்திருக்கிறோம்” என மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.#TNBreakfast pic.twitter.com/5YlCNaGMkJ
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) September 15, 2022
Under the morning breakfast scheme, every student is to be provided a cooked meal of 150-500 grams breakfast with sambar with vegetables. According to the officials in the school education department, the breakfast will be prepared with millets available in the region and will be provided to students at least two days every week, based on the daily menu.
மதுரை, ஆதிமூலம் மாநகராட்சி தொடக்கப் பள்ளியில் 1 முதல் 5ஆம் வகுப்பு வரை பயிலும் அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்கு காலை உணவு வழங்கும் திட்டமான முதலமைச்சரின் காலை உணவுத் திட்டத்தை மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் தொடங்கி வைத்து குழந்தைகளுக்கு உணவினை ஊட்டி மகிழ்ந்தார்.#TNBreakfast pic.twitter.com/vYq4QH6gA3
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) September 15, 2022
The menu includes upma, khichdi, and pongal varieties. The schools can choose from the menu and frame their own package for five days a week, as per the students’ health and requirement. Apart from the five days, on Fridays, students will be given a sweet-rava or semiya kesari with the breakfast.
Nutrition and class promotions have many connections: Experts
The breakfast scheme, according to social activists and political observers, is yet another milestone in Tamil Nadu’s history after the success of the mid-day meal scheme. “Many children are going to school with out food, breakfast. Biological need is that breakfast is a must for nutrition standard. Girl children don’t eat or eat less, or don’t have time to eat. Huge burden on the exchequer. The children will have a better curriculum and the mental development. Let it be a populist scheme. We should only look at the demographic dividend from this approach,” says Professor S. Janakarajan, formerly with the Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS). He said that the scheme will improve the literacy rate, enrolment rate and bring down the dropouts in schools. “Nutrition and class promotions have many connections,” he pointed out.
At least 43,600 students studying in municipal corporation schools, 17,400 students in schools in the municipalities, 42,800 students in village panchayat limits and more than 10,100 students in remote and hilly areas are likely to benefit through this morning breakfast scheme in the long run.
“It doesn’t attend to vote bank impact directly. It is addressed to the school and the education sector. And when we can spend on gadgets, why don’t we invest on food and nutrition for children. I look at it from a nutrition basis for children. It is quite different in urban upper middle class and in lower middle class. There might be resistance. These policies have universal implications and not sectarian. I suppose this universal approach to this whole policy will benefit the society at large,” says Professor Ramu Manivannan of the Madras University.
Courtesy: Lakshmi Subramanian, The Week
