TAMIL NADU

Initiative / Scheme

Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme

• Context: The Tamil Nadu government has issued an order renaming the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme after former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj. The scheme will henceforth be known as the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme.

About Breakfast Scheme

• • The Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme was introduced in Tamil Nadu with the aim of improving the nutritional status of school students, increasing school attendance, and reducing dropout rates. 
  • Complementing the existing Mid-Day Meal Scheme, this initiative primarily targets preventing students from poor and economically disadvantaged families from coming to school on an empty stomach.

• Objectives: 

• • • To honor the educational contributions of Perunthalaivar K. Kamarajar—who introduced the school mid-day meal scheme—the Tamil Nadu government renamed this initiative the “Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme.

• ” The Government Order regarding this was issued by the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department on July 15 (Kamarajar’s birthday).

• Furthermore, the government has announced the expansion of the scheme—previously limited to Classes I through V—to include students in Classes VI through VIII. This expansion will come into effect on September 17 (Periyar’s birthday).

About the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme

• • New Name of the Scheme: Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme.
  • Nutritious breakfast is provided to students studying in government and government-aided schools before the start of the school day or during the morning hours.

• Existing Coverage:

• • 1,934,230 students studying in Classes I to V
  • Benefiting from the scheme across 37,447 government and government-aided schools.

• Through the Scheme Expansion:

• • 1,514,274 students studying in Classes VI to VIII
  • Being newly included across 15,454 government and government-aided schools. For scheme expansion:
    • An additional expenditure of ₹343.55 crore is estimated.
    • The government has allocated ₹217.63 crore for the current financial year.

Key Objectives of the Scheme

• Improving students’ nutritional status – Ensuring physical and mental well-being through a nutritious breakfast.
• Increasing school attendance – Encouraging students to attend school regularly.
• Reducing dropouts – Preventing students from discontinuing their education due to economic reasons.
• Enhancing learning ability – Improving learning outcomes by mitigating the lack of concentration and fatigue caused by attending school on an empty stomach.
• Promoting social and economic equality – Providing equal nutritional support to all students.
• Alleviating the economic burden on poor families – Providing relief to families by the government bearing the cost of breakfast.
• Ensuring educational enrollment and continuity – Specifically increasing student enrollment in government and government-aided schools.

Key Features of the Scheme

• Provision of free, nutritious, and high-quality breakfast.
• Implementation in government and government-aided schools.
• The scheme has now been expanded to cover students in Classes I–VIII.
• It serves as a pioneering welfare initiative that integrates student health, educational quality, and social well-being.

‘Neer Ezhil Palli’ (Water-Efficient School) Scheme in Government Schools

• Context: The ‘Neer Ezhil Palli’ initiative, a dedicated water stewardship programme which seeks to transform government schools into climate-resilient and water-secure campuses, was inaugurated at the Presidency Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Egmore by School Education Minister.

About the ‘Neer Ezhil Palli’ Scheme

• The Neer Ezhil Palli’ scheme was launched in Tamil Nadu to promote water conservation and efficient water use in schools.
• It aims to address issues like urban water scarcity, declining groundwater levels, and wastewater management on school campuses.
• It is an eco-friendly initiative that scientifically treats wastewater generated in government schools and repurposes it for productive needs.
• The scheme is implemented with financial support from private companies (under CSR).
• Approximately 25,000 liters of wastewater are treated safely on a daily basis.
• The treated water is utilized for purposes such as maintaining school gardens, nurturing saplings, and recharging groundwater.
• The scheme was initially implemented in five government schools. Following its success, the government plans to expand it to other schools across the state.

Key Objectives of the Scheme

• Promoting water recycling – treating used water for reuse.
• Preventing the wastage of drinking water – utilizing recycled water for gardening and other requirements. 
• Raising groundwater levels – Improving water levels by recharging the ground with treated water.
• Creating green school campuses – Maintaining saplings, gardens, and green spaces.
• Providing environmental education to students – Offering practical experience in water conservation, water management, and sustainable development.
• Establishing sustainable water management – ​​Transforming school campuses into self-sufficient water-use hubs.
• Conserving resources in the face of climate change – Strengthening environmental protection through the efficient use of water resources.