Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Launches Expanded Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme for 15.3 Lakh Students

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched the expanded Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme on September 22, 2026, extending free morning meals to approximately 15.3 lakh students studying in Classes VI through VIII across government and government-aided institutions. The formal rollout took place at the Chennai Middle School in Thiruvanmiyur, where the Chief Minister served sweet pongal to students, inspected classrooms, and shared breakfast alongside them.

The initiative builds upon the foundational Chief Minister Breakfast Scheme originally launched for primary students in Classes I to V during September 2022 under the previous administration. Following the assumption of office by the TVK-led government, Chief Minister Vijay directed the upper-primary extension, accompanied by a formal renaming of the program to honor late Chief Minister K. Kamaraj.

The statewide expansion encompasses 15,454 government and government-aided schools, deploying three distinct logistical models to prepare and distribute meals efficiently. Within the Greater Chennai Corporation, 447 schools receive meals prepared through centralized kitchen facilities. In other municipal corporations, municipalities, and adjoining town panchayat areas, 2,150 schools rely on centralized kitchens operated by the Directorate of Municipal Administration.

In rural and surrounding town panchayat sectors, covering 12,857 schools, preparation and serving responsibilities are delegated to members of self-help groups operating under the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women. Overall financial backing for the expanded undertaking stands at 724 crore rupees, which includes an additional allocation of 217.63 crore rupees specifically dedicated to the upper-primary school expansion component.

While the statewide launch proceeded smoothly in most jurisdictions, logistical friction was documented in Krishnagiri district, where 470 out of 676 students enrolled in Classes VI to VIII at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School opted for the morning meal. Initial food preparations for 220 students in the first batch exhausted supplies before the second wave of students could be served.

School headmaster A. Nalini noted that strong student appetite led the first batch to consume most of the cooked items, leaving the second batch waiting for approximately 30 minutes. Krishnagiri municipality commissioner R. Sekar stated that food had been prepared for 550 individuals, exceeding the 470 registered participants, but consumption rates exceeded standard projections. District Collector C. Dinesh Kumar announced that an administrative inquiry would be initiated, emphasizing instructions for kitchens to prepare surplus quantities during the opening week to accommodate fluctuating demand.

Morning preparation procedures begin as early as 3.30 am across decentralized units, such as the Ambattur zone kitchens in Chennai managed by supervisor Uma and local women's teams. Staff adhere to strict hygiene protocols involving gloves, headgear, and aprons while preparing rotating menu items including ven pongal, sambar incorporating various vegetables, rava kichadi, and millet-based dishes.

Following quality inspections by municipal officials at 6.00 am, containers are labeled by school name and dispatched via transport vehicles by 6.30 am. Parent and student responses reflected positive local reception, with families noting the practical assistance provided for working households, while administrative leaders including Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar and multiple cabinet ministers monitored the launch sequence.