Telangana Launches Breakfast and Milk Scheme

Telangana launched its flagship Breakfast and Milk Scheme on 15 June 2026, when schools reopened after the summer vacation. The scheme covers students from pre-primary to Class XII in government schools and junior colleges across the state.

Scheme Coverage and Budget

The state has allocated an annual expenditure of ₹720 crore for the scheme. The allocation includes ₹540 crore for breakfast and ₹180 crore for milk and ragi malt supply. The scheme aims to benefit about 29 lakh students in government institutions.

Implementation in the Initial Phase

The first phase covers 1,302 educational institutions, including 1,269 government schools and 33 junior colleges. The initial rollout benefits around 1.44 lakh students across eight districts. The scheme is implemented with support from the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Trust and Manna Trust.

Menu and Nutritional Components

The weekly menu includes dosa, millet idli, puri, bonda, and upma with chutney or sambar. Milk is served on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and ragi malt is served on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Ragi is a millet grain used in several Indian food programmes.

Background of the Scheme

The scheme follows the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme launched by the previous BRS government in October 2023. That earlier programme was expanded to 3,500 schools in Telangana.

Important Facts for Exams

• Telangana became one of the Indian states to run a breakfast programme for government school students.
• Ragi malt is a common nutrition supplement in school feeding programmes in India.
• Government school meal schemes in India are linked with attendance and retention in classrooms.
• Junior colleges in Telangana are part of the state education system after Class X.

Administrative Details

The scheme was inaugurated by Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar at Raj Bhavan Government High School and Lok Bhavan School in Hyderabad. The programme is linked to government school enrolment and student welfare in Telangana.