The administration is also looking into the possibility of incorporating millets into the mid-day meal programme
The Telangana State government is developing plans to start serving breakfast to government and local body school students with nutritious Ragi coffee beginning in the following academic year to prevent them from starting class on an empty stomach.
A senior official in the department of education said that adding ragi java, which is prepared by combining jaggery, to the food menu for children in government and local body schools, is being thought through. Ragi, which is rich in dietary fibre, also offers the body with the protein and minerals it needs while facilitating simple digestion of food.
The most crucial meal to start the day is breakfast. However, several children attending government schools—mostly those from economically disadvantaged areas—were observed skipping breakfast because their parents had to leave early for farm or labour work. With the aid of trusts and NGOs, some government schools have already started providing free breakfast to their students.
While the State government already provides lunch on all school days, the introduction of Ragi coffee as breakfast will be beneficial for students.
The administration is also looking into the possibility of incorporating millets into the mid-day meal programme. High school students might receive millets once or twice every week.
As part of the current mid-day meal programme, kids are given fine rice, dal, sambar, vegetable curry, legume vegetable curry, and special rice such vegetable biryani, bagara rice, and pulihora. The State government provides an egg three times a week to make sure that children are consuming enough proteins and other nutrients.