A Tasty Surprise for School children ? Protein on the Plate

Tamil Nadu : What if going to school came with the delicious surprise of chicken biryani once a week ? A proposal being considered by the Tamil Nadu government could soon bring a new twist to the state’s school meal programme, with chicken biryani being explored as a weekly option for students in government schools. The proposal is not being implemented across all schools yet. Instead, the government is expected to first conduct a pilot project to examine how the plan works on the ground before considering a wider rollout.

Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Raj Mohan has said that providing chicken biryani to government-school children is the Chief Minister’s wish, but several practical aspects need to be carefully examined before implementation. Officials will have to assess food quality, hygiene, food safety, cooking arrangements, large-scale preparation and distribution to ensure that meals can be safely served to a large number of children.

The proposal had first come into focus in July, when discussions began around adding chicken biryani once a week to the government-school mid-day meal menu. According to the minister, growing children need adequate protein, and the proposal is being viewed in the context of providing more nutritious food through school meals. The minister also cited Puzhal prison as an example, questioning why schoolchildren should not be offered chicken biryani if prisoners are provided it. Importantly, children who do not eat non-vegetarian food would continue to have a vegetarian meal option, meaning chicken biryani could be offered as an alternative rather than being compulsory.

For now, the focus remains on the proposed pilot project, where everything from preparation and hygiene to quality control and serving arrangements will be tested. Only after evaluating the pilot will the government decide whether the chicken biryani option should be expanded to government schools across Tamil Nadu.

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