Telangana to launch free breakfast scheme

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, during his visit to Chennai, announced that the state government will implement the Chief Minister’s Morning Breakfast Scheme in government schools starting from the next academic year. The initiative aims to address classroom hunger and improve student attendance and learning outcomes across the state.

The Chief Minister highlighted that one of the key objectives of introducing the breakfast scheme is to reduce the student dropout rate in Telangana, which currently stands at approximately 8% at the secondary level, according to UDISE+(Unified District Information System Education Plus)data. Many of these dropouts are linked to poverty, malnutrition, and lack of parental support. By ensuring that children receive at least one nutritious meal before classes begin, the government hopes to incentivise regular attendance and improve retention, especially among students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Speaking at an event, Revanth Reddy drew inspiration from Tamil Nadu’s successful implementation of a similar programme. He praised the Tamil Nadu government, particularly Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, for prioritising child welfare and education through such nutrition-focused schemes.

“We have studied Tamil Nadu’s model closely and are impressed by its results. Telangana will launch its own CM’s Breakfast Scheme from the next academic year, and we hope it will significantly improve school participation,” he said.

The scheme will be introduced in phases, beginning with government schools in selected districts. Officials have already started consultations with experts to finalise logistics, menu planning, and budgeting. Revanth Reddy also stated that this initiative is part of a larger educational reform plan focused on infrastructure, teacher training, and child development.