Tamil Nadu government weighs weekly chicken biryani for school midday meals

Tamil Nadu midday meal chicken biryani school nutrition proposal

The Tamil Nadu state government is reviewing a proposal to add chicken biryani to its Mid‑Day Meal scheme once a week. The idea was presented by School Education Minister A. Rajmohan to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, and is pending the chief‑minister’s decision. If approved, it would be one of the largest menu changes to the programme in recent years.

The Mid‑Day Meal scheme currently provides free lunches to nearly 40 lakh students in classes 1‑10 across government and aided schools, while the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme serves about 32 lakh children in classes 1‑8. The government is also examining extensions of both schemes to classes 11‑12, which could benefit an additional 8 lakh students, and is reviewing overall food‑quality improvements such as the grade of rice supplied. No final approval has been granted yet; the proposal remains under review.

Entities: Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay · Education Minister A. Rajmohan · Midday Meal Scheme · Mid‑Day Meal Scheme · School Education Minister A. Rajmohan · Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department · Tamil Nadu Government

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 4 SOURCES] The Tamil Nadu government is considering adding chicken biryani once a week to the midday‑meal scheme in government schools. (All articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] The government is evaluating extending both breakfast and midday‑meal schemes to classes 11‑12, potentially benefiting an additional 8 lakh students. (Planned expansion to higher secondary students.)
[● 4 SOURCES] The midday‑meal scheme currently serves nearly 40 lakh students in classes 1‑10 across government and aided schools. (Mid‑Day Meal coverage figure.)
[● 4 SOURCES] No final approval has been granted yet for adding chicken biryani to the midday‑meal programme. (All articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] Authorities are reviewing improvements to overall food quality, including the grade of rice supplied to schools. (Food‑quality review alongside the biryani proposal.)
[● 4 SOURCES] The proposal aims to boost nutrition and make school lunches more attractive to students. (Intended benefit of adding chicken biryani.)
[● 4 SOURCES] Final decision will be made in consultation with the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department. (All articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] The Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme supports about 32 lakh children in classes 1‑8. (Breakfast scheme coverage figure.)
[● 2 SOURCES] School Education Minister A. Rajmohan has submitted the proposal to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for review. (Minister Rajmohan presented the chicken‑biryani plan to the chief minister.)
[● 2 SOURCES] No final decision has been taken yet; the proposal remains under review by the chief minister. (Current status of the chicken‑biryani proposal.)
[● 3 SOURCES] The Tamil Nadu government is considering a proposal to serve chicken biryani once a week under its midday‑meal scheme. (Proposed inclusion of chicken biryani in school lunches.)