Tamil Nadu Schools To Serve Chicken Biryani in Mid-Day Meal? Vijay Govt Is Thinking About It

Tamil Nadu is considering serving chicken biryani once a week in govt schools after teachers' unions raised the demand ahead of the state budget. Education Minister said the proposal is being examined. Unions also want permanent jobs for meal workers

Tamil Nadu schools may get chicken biryani once a week

Tamil Nadu could soon see a new item on the menu at government schools if a proposal to serve chicken biryani once a week gets the state government's approval.

The proposal was put forward by a group of more than 80 teachers' unions during a meeting with School Education Minister A Rajmohan ahead of the Tamil Nadu budget scheduled for August 5.

The unions have asked the government to improve the quality of rice served under the mid-day meal scheme and add chicken biryani to the menu once a week.

Rajmohan said the proposal was being considered. The government, however, has not taken a final decision yet. The matter also needs to be discussed with the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department, which is involved in running the state's school meal programme.

Why teachers are asking for chicken biryani for schoolchildren

During a meeting with the Education Minister ahead of the August 5 state budget, over 80 teachers' unions made a request. The demand is not only about adding a popular dish to the school menu.

Teachers' unions have argued that school meals should become more nutritious while also being attractive enough for children to eat regularly. They have asked for better-quality rice and a more varied menu.

The chicken biryani proposal has therefore become part of a wider set of demands linked to the state's school nutrition programmes.

Rajmohan also spoke about the history of school meals in Tamil Nadu and said successive governments had made their own additions to the programme.

He referred to former Chief Minister K Kamarajar's introduction of the school meal programme, followed by changes made during the governments of M Karunanidhi, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

According to the minister, each political era had added something to the state's effort to provide food to schoolchildren.

Rajmohan said he too wanted to make an addition by introducing chicken biryani once a week.

The proposal has drawn attention because chicken biryani would be a very different addition to the regular school meal menu. However, at this stage, it remains a proposal rather than an approved policy.

Nearly 8 lakh more students could be covered

The teachers' unions have also asked the government to extend the state's school meal programmes to students in Classes 11 and 12.

At present, the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme covers Classes 1 to 8 and serves around 32 lakh students. The Mid-Day Meal Scheme covers students up to Class 10 and reaches around 40 lakh children, according to the details shared during the meeting.

The unions want students in Classes 11 and 12 to be included as well.

If the proposal is accepted, around another 8 lakh students could come under the coverage of the two programmes.

That would mean a major expansion of the state's school nutrition network, particularly because older students would also receive support for meals during the school day.

The demand comes as Tamil Nadu continues to use school meals as an important part of its welfare and education policies.

Breakfast scheme may also get a new menu

Rajmohan also spoke about changes being considered for the existing breakfast programme.

The minister said the government was looking at ways to make the breakfast menu more nutritious and appealing to children.

At present, the allocation is around Rs 15 per student. Rajmohan said the government wants to move away from repetitive dishes such as wheat and rava upma and consider other food items.

The idea is to make the breakfast more varied while ensuring that it continues to meet the nutritional needs of schoolchildren.

The Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme was launched in September 2022 by the then DMK government to provide morning meals to primary school students. It was later renamed the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme.

The breakfast programme operates alongside the noon-meal system, giving many children access to two meals during the school day.

Meal workers want permanent jobs

The teachers' unions have also raised concerns about the people who run the meal programmes.

They have asked that workers currently involved in the Mid-Day Meal Scheme also be given responsibility for the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme.

Another major demand is that these workers should be made permanent.

The request is aimed at providing greater job security to workers who are already involved in preparing and serving food to schoolchildren.

The government is expected to examine this demand along with the other requests raised by the unions.

Rajmohan said all the demands would be digitally recorded and reviewed department-wise. He also indicated that the government would try to find solutions to the issues as quickly as possible.

Teachers raise TET and pay concerns

The meeting was not limited to school meals. The unions also raised concerns about teachers who are required to take the special Teacher Eligibility Test, or TET, following a Supreme Court order.

They sought relief for affected teachers and raised the issue of equal pay for secondary grade teachers.

More funds for school maintenance were also sought.

The demands cover several areas of school education, from teachers' salaries and examinations to infrastructure and student welfare.

The minister's response means the issues are now being examined by the relevant departments, although it remains unclear which demands will receive immediate approval.

Tamil Nadu's long history of school meals

Tamil Nadu has a long history of using school meals as a way to support children's nutrition and encourage school attendance.

Kamarajar introduced a school meal programme in the state in 1956. Over the years, successive governments changed and expanded the programme by adding new food items and increasing its reach.

The state's approach later became an example often discussed in connection with school nutrition programmes in India.

The breakfast scheme added another layer to this system in 2022. Its aim was to ensure that children, particularly those in primary classes, did not begin their school day without food.

The expansion of these schemes has also linked education policy with wider welfare goals.

For many families, school meals can reduce the daily cost of feeding children while ensuring that students receive at least some nutritious food during school hours.

As of now, there is no confirmed date for chicken biryani to be included in government school meal plan.

The proposal is still being examined by the Tamil Nadu government and will need discussions between the departments concerned before a final decision can be taken. If approved, the weekly chicken biryani plan would become one of the more noticeable changes to Tamil Nadu's school meal menu in recent years.