Overview
- The launch took place on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at Gandhi Gramam Middle School in Thiruvanmiyur where Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay served pongal to students and inspected classrooms.
- The extension adds about 15.3 lakh students in Classes VI–VIII across 15,454 government and government‑aided schools, bringing the scheme’s total budget to roughly ₹724 crore after a new ₹217.63 crore allocation.
- The state will use a mixed delivery model with 447 schools in Greater Chennai served by centralised kitchens, around 2,150 urban schools covered by municipal integrated kitchens, and 12,857 rural schools served by self‑help groups under the Tamil Nadu Women’s Development Corporation.
- Rollout begins statewide on Sept. 22 except in Chengalpattu and Tiruppur districts where the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct delays implementation ahead of by‑polls.
- Opposition criticism of the renaming to Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme and commentary in the press underscore that consistent hygiene checks, kitchen inspections, headmasters’ oversight and protection from local political interference will determine whether students actually receive daily, nutritious meals.