Story perspectives

Tamil Nadu expands Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme to 15.30 lakh students

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 10:03 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme expansion for classes VI-VIII on 22 September 2026.
The rollout excludes Chengalpattu and Tiruppur districts because the Election Commission’s model code of conduct applies.
The expansion will serve roughly 15.30 lakh additional students in 15,454 government and government-aided schools.
An extra INR217.63 crore was allocated to the scheme in the current financial year.

History

Historical Context

India launched the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in 2001 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to achieve universal elementary education, building on the 1994 District Primary Education Programme that opened over 160,000 schools. Tamil Nadu’s historic midday-meal drive, begun in the 1960s and expanded by M. G. Ramachandran in 1982, now under Chief Minister C. J. Vijay’s 2026 Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme targets an additional 1.53 million students.

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Story summary

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme expansion for classes VI-VIII on 22 September 2026.
The rollout excludes Chengalpattu and Tiruppur districts because the Election Commission’s model code of conduct applies.
The expansion will serve roughly 15.30 lakh additional students in 15,454 government and government-aided schools.
An extra INR217.63 crore was allocated to the scheme in the current financial year.

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