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If the Union Food Ministry has its way, a Centre-sponsored scheme to provide cooked hot breakfast for schoolchildren may be launched next year as a measure to further strengthen the goal of universalisation of primary and secondary education in the country.

Top sources in the ministry told Deccan Herald that the ministry had earlier planned to include hot breakfast for schoolchildren in the National Food Security Bill, which was introduced in Parliament last week. But the plan was shelved in order to hold discussions with the states on the proposal.

The breakfast scheme for children studying up to eighth standard will be in addition to the existing free mid-day meal to children up to the age of 14 years, implemented through local anganwadis, and one mid-day meal everyday in all government and government-aided schools.

The sources said that accommodating the scheme would not be a big problem. As such, they said for implementing the National Food Security Bill,  when it becomes an act of Parliament, the ministry would require 62 million tonnes of foodgrains per annum against the current procurement 54 million tones. And the government has already factored the requirements for implementing the National Food Security Bill in its planning.

The ministry proposes to put the plan before the parliamentary standing committee, which will also scrutinise the National Food Security Bill.

The sources are confident that the proposal will find favour with the panel and the government. Apparently, the Congress is keen to flag off the scheme well ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls.

If the proposal goes through and gets the requisite support from the Union government and the states, a separate announcement may be made for launching the scheme.

The existing mid-day meal scheme has yielded very positive results over the last nine years as over 12 crore children in primary and secondary schools are availing of its benefits. Besides addressing the issue of hunger and nutrition among children, the mid-day meal scheme is aimed at increasing school enrolment, and attendance.

Now,  the Centre supplies 24 lakh tonnes of foodgrains to implement the mid-day meal scheme across the country. The ministry estimates that a similar quantity of foodgrains will be required for the breakfast scheme, apart from cash expenditures involved.

The ministry also plans to treat Scheduled Tribes as a category to provide subsidised foodgrains through the public distribution system under the Food Security Bill. There has already been a representation in this regard from the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.