Overview
- The government formally launched the programme on Monday, June 15, providing breakfasts and milk for pre‑primary through Class 12 as schools reopened for the 2026–27 year.
- Phase‑I is funded at about ₹720 crore a year and covers 1,302 institutions — 1,269 schools and 33 government junior colleges — serving 1.44 lakh students through a network of centralised kitchens.
- Two voluntary groups, the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Trust and Manna Trust, will implement the first phase in selected districts with breakfasts delivered six days a week and a rota of milk or ragi malt on alternate days.
- Menu choices emphasise millets and local dishes such as millet idli, dosa, puri with aloo kurma, bonda and upma, with milk served three days and ragi jawa three days to target nutrition gaps.
- Early operations on the first day showed gaps in uptake and logistics — in Hyderabad 45 pilot schools served about 6,000 students though rolls list 12,437, and promised uniforms and student kits were not yet distributed — issues officials say they will address during scale‑up.