A Step Ahead in School Nutrition Programmes

Tamil Nadu (TN) stepped up to an upg­raded model in school feeding with the introduction of the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme (CMBS) in government and aided schools along with the midday meal (MDM) across the state (GoTN 2022a). This article examines the timing of the introduction of hot cooked food as breakfast, the salient features of the scheme, and potential ways to strengthen its long-term sustainability.

TN played a pioneering role in implementing MDM for schoolgoing children. The MDM scheme was first implemented in 1958 and became a universal prog­ramme in 1982. Subsequent governments have enhanced the programme by adding eggs and pulses (Swaminathan et al 2004; GoTN 2022b). Initially, it was deri­ded as a “populist” programme, but it soon became a national model (Drèze and Sen 2013). Evaluation stu­dies reve­aled that MDM improved the ave­rage att­endance of enrolled students (Rajan and Jayakumar 1992; Swaminathan et al 2004). A study by the International Food Policy Research Institute found that MDM has positively contributed to the nutritional status of children, thus providing intergenerational transmission of benefits (Chakrabarti et al 2021). Drèze and Sen (2013) have descri­bed the introduction of this vital scheme and other social infrastructure facilities in TN and attributed its success to democratic politics allied with public pressure. Therefore, school meals always play a prominent role in social infrastructure in TN.