HYDERABAD: While children are often reluctant to head to school, the aroma of freshly cooked puris and bondas is now drawing students to government schools across Telangana before the first bell. What began as a pilot in Kodangal in 2024 has grown into a statewide initiative, with attendance rising from around 75% to nearly 90% in several schools.
The breakfast programme, implemented by the state government with support from the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation (HKMCF), is being expanded through a network of centralised kitchens. The Kodangal pilot covered 312 schools across eight mandals and showed encouraging results, with teachers reporting better punctuality, morning attentiveness and classroom participation.
In June this year, the programme was extended to 1,302 institutions, including government junior colleges, reaching around 1.2 lakh children. The larger plan is to reach nearly 20 lakh children through 31 centralised kitchens across the state within six months. At present, around six centralised kitchens are functional, say officials.
Behind each breakfast, meanwhile, is an operation that begins well before sunrise. At the centralised kitchens, cleaning and sanitisation can start around 1 am, cooking begins at about 4 am and vehicles carrying food leave around 5 or 5.30 am.
Specialised equipment can prepare around 3,600 puris and 2,000 dosas in an hour, while about 5,400 idlis can be produced in the same time, officials point out, adding that the food is packed in insulated containers to retain its temperature during transportation.
Lifesaver for parents
At ZPHS Girls School in Kodangal, Class 10 student D Shruti knows exactly what is on the menu — and likes the variety. “Every day we get breakfast here. They give us different varieties such as puri, aloo and milk,” she says.
For working parents, the programme means one less worry in the morning. For teachers, it is translating into better attendance and more attentive classrooms. For children, especially in rural areas, it is also bringing foods such as puri and bonda to their plates more regularly.
“My friends and I sometimes come to school without having breakfast. But after the launch of this programme recently, we are able to concentrate wholeheartedly,” says Suchendra Neeli, a student of Government High School, Madhira.
Sarojini, a tailor from Parsapur village whose daughter attends a government school in Kodangal, says the programme had made mornings easier. “During festival seasons, sometimes we get a little late in the morning. Because of that, children may not get breakfast on time. This programme is very useful for us and for the children,” she says.
Kummari Bichaiah, whose grandson studies in a government school in Kodangal, says the programme ensures children eat on time and attend classes.
An irresistible magnet
T Vivek, in-charge headmaster of a government school in Rangareddy district, says students were showing better attention and grasping ability since the breakfast programme was introduced.
“For children in rural areas, items such as puri and bonda are like a luxury for many children. Now they are getting these items regularly, and the children are extremely happy with the programme,” says Krishna Das, executive director, Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation.
He adds that the impact was already visible, with an average 10% increase in attendance, particularly in Kodangal. “Children are now coming early and, in many places, they are actually waiting for breakfast even before it arrives,” he says.
Krishna recalls a headmaster observing that school dustbins, once filled with packets of chips, biscuits and chocolates, had become almost empty after the breakfast programme began — a small sign of a possible shift away from packaged snacks.
Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa, president of the Hare Krishna Movement, Hyderabad, says breakfast could become a daily incentive for children to attend school. “Unlike a schoolbag or a pair of shoes, which are one-time interventions, breakfast is a daily pull for the child to come to school,” he says.
“The real impact is not just providing a meal. It is about bringing the child to school every day, helping them learn, grow and ultimately build a better future,” he adds.
