Telangana School Breakfast Scheme Expands to Reach 1.2 Lakh Students

The Telangana government, in partnership with the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation, has expanded its school breakfast initiative to 1,302 institutions, boosting student attendance in places like Kodangal from 75% to nearly 90%. First launched as a pilot project across 312 schools in eight mandals of Kodangal in 2024, the scheme now reaches approximately 1.2 lakh children, including students in government junior colleges.

State officials plan to scale up the initiative to cover nearly 20 lakh children through a network of 31 centralised kitchens across Telangana within six months. Currently, around six centralised kitchens are functional, providing freshly prepared meals such as puris, dosas, idlis, and bondas packed in insulated containers to maintain temperature during transit.

Operations at the centralised kitchens begin well before sunrise, with cleaning and sanitisation starting around 1 a.m. Cooking begins at 4 a.m., and delivery vehicles depart between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Specialised automated equipment can produce up to 3,600 puris, 2,000 dosas, and 5,400 idlis per hour to meet the demand across participating schools.

School administrators and teachers have reported notable improvements in morning attentiveness, classroom participation, and overall student punctuality. T Vivek, in-charge headmaster of a government school in Rangareddy district, noted that students are demonstrating better focus and grasping ability since the meals were introduced. Krishna Das, executive director of the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation, reported an average 10% increase in attendance, particularly in Kodangal, adding that school dustbins previously filled with packaged snack wrappers have become largely empty.

Students and parents across the state have welcomed the daily menu, which varies throughout the week. D Shruti, a Class 10 student at ZPHS Girls School in Kodangal, said children receive items like puri, aloo, and milk. At Government High School in Madhira, student Suchendra Neeli explained that the morning meal allows students who previously skipped breakfast to concentrate better in class. Local parents, including Sarojini from Parsapur village and Kummari Bichaiah from Kodangal, highlighted that the programme ensures children receive timely, nutritious food on busy mornings.

Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa, president of the Hare Krishna Movement in Hyderabad, stated that breakfast serves as a daily incentive for children to attend school regularly, helping them engage in learning and build a better future.