Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday said the state's breakfast scheme for schoolchildren has ensured “ If stomach gets filled, knowledge grows,” as the program expands to cover government-aided schools in urban areas.

In a letter to DMK workers, Stalin recalled the evolution of school meal initiatives—from the introduction of the midday meal by K Kamaraj to its upgrade into a nutritious meal scheme under M G Ramachandran and later enhancements during the Karunanidhi regime.

The Chief Minister launched the breakfast scheme on September 15, 2022, at a corporation primary school in Madurai. Initially covering 56,160 students in 433 schools, the program was later extended to rural government-aided schools.

Currently, 17.53 lakh students in 34,987 primary schools benefit from the scheme. In the latest phase, 3.06 lakh students in 2,429 urban schools will be included, taking the total coverage to 20.59 lakh students, Stalin said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will launch the urban phase of the scheme on Tuesday at St. Susaiappar Primary School in Chennai's Mylapore.

“This is not just food—it is fertilizer for growth,” Stalin wrote, adding that Tamil Nadu continues to lead the country in welfare measures aimed at education and nutrition.