TN CM launches expansion of breakfast scheme to govt aided schools
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday launched the expansion of the breakfast scheme for primary school children to state-aided private schools.
Inaugurating the scheme at St Anne's school in Tiruvallur district, Stalin sat alongside the children and served them food and also ate with them.
The scheme's expansion also marks the birth anniversary of late Chief Minister K Kamaraj, which is observed as 'Kalvi Valarchi Naal,' (Education Development Day) by the state government.
The move will benefit 2,23,536 children in 3,995 government-aided primary schools across the state, the government said.
When the chief minister inaugurated the breakfast scheme on September 15, 2022, 1.14 lakh students in Classes 1 to 5 studying in 1,545 government primary schools were covered under the scheme.
With the expansion of the scheme across the state on August 25, 2023, about 18.50 lakh students in all the 30,992 state-run primary schools were brought under the initiative's cover.
By bringing aided schools under the scheme's ambit, in total, about 21.87 lakh students will be benefitted. Also, the scheme will be operational in both government and state-aided primary schools.
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Rare Kalyani Chalukya-era stepwell discovered in Karnataka’s Gadag district
Gadag: A centuries-old stepwell from the Kalyani Chalukya period is discovered into public in Sudi, a remote village in Karnataka’s Gadag district. The Nagakunda Pushkarani, dating to the 10th-11th century CE, is undergoing extensive restoration under the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage’s ‘Adopt a Monument’ scheme.
The stepwell was focal point of community life and craftsmanship under the reign of Akkadevi, sister of Chalukya king Jayasimha II. It shows the dynasty’s mastery of architecture and water management. Its interior walls are carved with the precision of temple façades, setting it apart from most surviving stepwells in southern India, linking it stylistically to examples in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
After centuries of neglect left its sculptures weathered and its waters dry, the site is now being revived by the Deccan Heritage Foundation India in partnership with Heritage Matters, the Gandipet Welfare Society and the Water Literacy Foundation according to a report published by The HIndu. Work includes structural repairs, removal of invasive vegetation, dredging, stone resetting and landscaping, alongside the restoration of an adjacent mantapa with a large Ganesha idol.
Heritage architect B. Sarath Chandra noted, the project is as much about functionality as aesthetics, with water recharge efforts already underway. Funded by Gandipet Welfare Society founder Rajashree Pinnamenni, the restoration is slated for completion by late 2025, followed by a second phase linking the stepwell to the Jodu Kalasadagudi temple through landscaped pathways.
The report mentions that officials say the revival of Nagakunda Pushkarani could not only reintroduce Sudi’s Chalukya heritage to a wider audience but also serve as a model for conserving other lesser-known monuments across Karnataka.
