Chennai, July 29: The Tamil Nadu government is contemplating the inclusion of ‘Chicken Biryani’ in its prominent mid-day meal scheme once a week. This initiative aims to enhance nutrition and make school meals more appealing to students.
The proposal is currently under review by the government. If approved, it would mark a significant change in one of the country’s oldest school nutrition programs.
Officials have stated that any decision will be made after discussions with the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department, which oversees the implementation of the mid-day meal scheme across the state.
This move is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen welfare programs for students in government schools by providing better nutritional support and increasing attendance.
The proposed Chicken Biryani is expected to add a nutritious option to the existing menu, ensuring that students receive a protein-rich meal once a week.
The government is also considering suggestions to improve the overall quality of food served under the mid-day meal scheme, including the quality of rice supplied to schools. Officials believe that better quality food can enhance the program’s effectiveness. This initiative has played a crucial role in alleviating hunger in classrooms and improving enrollment and retention rates among economically disadvantaged children.
Currently, the mid-day meal scheme benefits approximately 4 million students from classes 1 to 10 in government and government-aided schools.
The Chief Minister‘s breakfast scheme includes students from classes 1 to 8, and following its recent expansion, it is expected to benefit around 3.2 million children. The government is also considering proposals to extend breakfast and lunch provisions to higher secondary students.
If the mid-day meal program is expanded to include classes 11 and 12, it is estimated that an additional 800,000 students would benefit. Education experts and school administrators have long believed that providing nutritional support to higher secondary students will improve attendance, reduce dropout rates, and enhance academic performance, particularly for children from low-income families.
Should the proposal to include Chicken Biryani be approved, it will represent another step in Tamil Nadu‘s long-standing commitment to nutrition and student welfare.
The state has always been a leader in implementing food-based welfare programs, and its mid-day meal scheme serves as a model for similar initiatives across the country.
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