Telangana Expands Breakfast and Midday Meal Scheme to Teachers and Staff
The Telangana government has approved the expansion of its breakfast and midday meal programme to include teachers, lecturers and non-teaching staff working in government schools and junior colleges. The decision, cleared by the state Cabinet, marks a significant extension of the state's existing nutrition initiative, which has so far primarily benefited students enrolled in government educational institutions.
The approval was granted during Telangana's first e-Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the State Secretariat. Under the new policy, free breakfast and lunch will be provided not only to students but also to teaching and non-teaching employees across government schools and junior colleges.
The state government has been expanding its school nutrition programmes in recent years. While the midday meal scheme has long been available to students in government schools to help address classroom hunger and improve attendance, the Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also introduced a breakfast programme. From the current academic year, both breakfast and midday meals have been extended to Intermediate students studying in government junior colleges.
With the latest Cabinet decision, the scope of these welfare programmes will widen further. Teachers, lecturers and other staff members involved in the day-to-day functioning of government schools and junior colleges will now receive the same breakfast and lunch facilities that are currently available to students.
The government believes the expansion will strengthen the educational environment by enabling teachers and staff to spend more time on campus and remain more accessible to students throughout the school day. Officials expect the measure to support smoother school operations while complementing the state's broader efforts to improve public education.
Until now, free midday meals were largely limited to students in government schools, while the Chief Minister's breakfast programme had also been implemented for students in selected institutions before being expanded. The latest decision represents a broader institutional approach by extending meal support to all teaching and non-teaching personnel working alongside students in government educational institutions.
The move comes as Telangana continues to invest in welfare initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes and student well-being through nutrition support. School meal programmes have traditionally been viewed as an important component of public education by helping ensure that students have access to nutritious food during the school day.
According to the state government, the newly approved policy will cover government schools and junior colleges across Telangana. Students, teachers, lecturers and other staff members will be eligible to receive free breakfast and midday meals under the expanded programme.
The decision has been welcomed by teacher associations and education sector employees across the state, who have expressed appreciation for the Cabinet's approval. The expansion is expected to benefit thousands of teaching and non-teaching staff working in government educational institutions while reinforcing the state's ongoing focus on strengthening its public education system.