One of the pioneers, Madras Corporation started providing cooked meals to children in Corporation schools in the Madras city; the programme was later introduced on a larger scale in 1960s.
Tamil Nadu's midday meal programme is among the best known in the country. The programme was introduced at a national level by the government of India in the late 50s and early 60s and later in the 80s as a centrally sponsored programme.
Although the programme in Tamil Nadu was initially termed as an act of "Populism", the success of the scheme made the project hugely popular.
