CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin is set to inaugurate the statewide launch of the Chief Minister’s breakfast scheme in Nagapattinam district on Friday. Initially launched to provide nourishing breakfast to 1,14,095 students in classes 1 to 5 across 1,545 Government schools. This initiative has now been broadened to encompass 31,000 Government schools statewide, benefiting a remarkable 17 lakh students.
The official press release outlining the expansion of this breakfast scheme throws light on its origin, tracing its roots to 1920 when Sir PT Thiyagarayar, then mayor of Madras corporation, passed a resolution on September 16, 1920, during a council meeting.
The resolution paved the way for the implementation of the mid-day meal scheme in a Corporation School at Thousand Lights. After a brief hiatus, the mid-day meal scheme was revived in primary schools in 1957 under the leadership of the then Chief Minister K Kamaraj.
Subsequently, the statement delves into the scheme’s evolution. In July 1982, the then Chief Minister MG Ramachandran introduced the Nutritious Meal Programme, ensuring year-round sustenance for all school students. Building on this foundation, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi announced in 1989 that an egg would be served with a nutritious meal weekly.
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