Students take part in a cycle rally on the occasion of Suravi 2014 at Forest Park. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 12: The department of school and mass education is planning to introduce breakfast for students in government-run schools as an extension of its midday meal scheme.

“The proposal is to introduce fruits and milk for students to improve their vitamin and calcium intakes,” said minister Debi Prasad Mishra, while speaking on the sidelines of Suravi, the three-day children’s festival that was inaugurated today.

In Kerala schools, fruits and milk are being given to the students.

The state government is also planning to extend its rice fortification programme in Angul and Dhenkanal, said school and mass education secretary Usha Padhi.

At present, the programme is being implemented only in Gajapati district. According to the programme, rice used in midday meals is mixed with iron, so that prevalence of anaemia could be checked in the students.

Awareness on the midday meal scheme remains the theme for the three-day extravaganza that started with a cycle rally. About 600 school students cycled from Forest Park to Unit-IX Boys’ High School, the venue for the event.

The highlight of this year is a special book exhibition for children conducted by the National Book Trust of India.

“Several stalls on the midday meal programme have been put up in order to sensitise students and teachers on the health and hygiene aspects of midday meals, on ways and means to avoid midday meal mishaps and better community participation,” said Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority director Mahendra Kumar Mallick.

About 2,500 students selected from various competitions in block and district levels over a period of one month are taking part in the event.

The event will feature a number of events such as essay and slogan writing, song, dance and skit centred on themes such as elimination of classroom hunger, nutritional requirement, importance of hand washing, community participation and so on.

The students will take part in a series of competitions on art, craft, debate, dance, song and drama.