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The Mid Day Meal is the world’s largest school feeding programme reaching out to about 12 crore children in over 12.65 lakh schools/EGS centres across the country.
Mid Day Meal in schools has had a long history in India. In 1925, a Mid Day Meal Programme was introduced for disadvantaged children in Madras Municipal Corporation. By the mid 1980s three States viz. Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the UT of Pondicherry had universalized a cooked Mid Day Meal Programme with their own resources for children studying at the primary stage By 1990-91 the number of States implementing the mid day meal programme with their own resources on a universal or a large scale had increased to twelve states.
With a view to enhancing enrollment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children all over India, the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15 August 1995, initially in 2408 blocks in the country. By the year 1997- 98 the NP-NSPE was introduced in all blocks of the country. It was further extended in 2002 to cover not only children in class I-V of government, government aided and local body schools, but also children studying in Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative Education centres.
Central Assistance under the scheme consisted of free supply of food grains @ 100 grams per child per school day, and subsidy for transportation of food grains up to a maximum of Rs 50 per quintal.
In September 2004 the scheme was revised to provide cooked mid day meal with 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein to all children studying in classes I-V in Government and aided schools and EGS/AIE centres. In addition to free supply of food grains, the revised scheme provided Central Assistance for (a) Cooking cost @ 1 per child per school day, (b) Transport subsidy was raised from the earlier maximum of 50 per quintal to 100 per quintal for special category states, and 75 per quintal for other states, (c) Management, monitoring and evaluation costs @ 2 per cent of the cost of foodgrains, transport subsidy and cooking assistance, and (d) Provision of mid day meal during summer vacation in drought affected areas.
In July 2006 the nutritional norm has increased from existing 300 calories and 8-12 gram protein to minimum 450 Calories and 12 gram of protein. Assistance for cooking / kitchen devices (gas stove with connection, stainless steel water storage tank, cooking and serving utensils etc.) in a phased manner @ _ 5,000 per school.
In September 2007, the name of the Scheme was changed from 'National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education 'to 'National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools' and the Scheme was extended to cover children of upper primary classes (i.e. class VI to VIII) studying in 3,479 Educationally Backward Blocks. The calorific value of the Mid Day Meal for upper primary stage was fixed at 700 Calories and 20 grams of protein.
The Scheme was further revised in April 2008 to cover all upper primary schools of country and also to include recognized Madrasas / Maqtabs supported under SSA as Government Aided schools as well as those Madrasas / Maqtabs which may not be registered or recognized but supported under SSA as EGS / AIE intervention in coordination with State Project Directors of SSA.
During the year 2009 the following changes have been made to improve the implementation of the scheme: Food norms have been revised to ensure balanced and nutritious diet to children of upper primary group by increasing the quantity of pulses from 25 to 30 grams, vegetables from 65 to 75 grams and by decreasing the quantity of oil and fat from 10 grams to 7.5 grams.
Monitoring Mechanism
The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development has prescribed a comprehensive and elaborate mechanism for monitoring and supervision of the Mid Day Meal Scheme. The monitoring mechanism includes the following:
• Representatives of Gram Panchayats/Gram Sabhas, as well as Mothers' Committees are required to monitor the (i) regularity and wholesomeness of the mid day meal served to children, (ii) cleanliness in cooking and serving of the mid day meal, (iii) timeliness in procurement of good quality ingredients, fuel, etc. (iv) implementation of varied menu and (v) social and gender equity. This is required to be done on a daily basis.
• In order to ensure that there is transparency and accountability, all schools and centres where the programme is being implemented are required to display information suo-moto. This includes information on:
a) Quality of foodgrains received, date of receipt.
b) Quantity of foodgrains utilized.
c) Other ingredients purchased, utilized
d) Number of children given mid day meal.
e) Daily Menu
f) Roster of Community Members involved in the programme.
• Officers of the State Government/UTs belonging to the Departments of Revenue, Rural Development, Education and other related sectors, such as Women and Child Development, Food, Health are also required to inspect schools and centres where the programme is being implemented.
• The FCI is responsible for the continuous availability of adequate food grains in its Depots. It allows lifting of food grains for any month/quarter up to one month in advance so that supply chain of food grains remains uninterrupted. The District Collector/CEO of Zila Panchayat ensures that food grains of at least Fair Average Quality are issued by FCI.
With a view to enhancing enrollment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children all over India, the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15 August 1995, initially in 2408 blocks in the country. By the year 1997- 98 the NP-NSPE was introduced in all blocks of the country. It was further extended in 2002 to cover not only children in class I-V of government, government aided and local body schools, but also children studying in Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative Education centres.
Central Assistance under the scheme consisted of free supply of food grains @ 100 grams per child per school day, and subsidy for transportation of food grains up to a maximum of Rs 50 per quintal.
In September 2004 the scheme was revised to provide cooked mid day meal with 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein to all children studying in classes I-V in Government and aided schools and EGS/AIE centres. In addition to free supply of food grains, the revised scheme provided Central Assistance for (a) Cooking cost @ 1 per child per school day, (b) Transport subsidy was raised from the earlier maximum of 50 per quintal to 100 per quintal for special category states, and 75 per quintal for other states, (c) Management, monitoring and evaluation costs @ 2 per cent of the cost of foodgrains, transport subsidy and cooking assistance, and (d) Provision of mid day meal during summer vacation in drought affected areas.
In July 2006 the nutritional norm has increased from existing 300 calories and 8-12 gram protein to minimum 450 Calories and 12 gram of protein. Assistance for cooking / kitchen devices (gas stove with connection, stainless steel water storage tank, cooking and serving utensils etc.) in a phased manner @ _ 5,000 per school.
In September 2007, the name of the Scheme was changed from 'National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education 'to 'National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools' and the Scheme was extended to cover children of upper primary classes (i.e. class VI to VIII) studying in 3,479 Educationally Backward Blocks. The calorific value of the Mid Day Meal for upper primary stage was fixed at 700 Calories and 20 grams of protein.
The Scheme was further revised in April 2008 to cover all upper primary schools of country and also to include recognized Madrasas / Maqtabs supported under SSA as Government Aided schools as well as those Madrasas / Maqtabs which may not be registered or recognized but supported under SSA as EGS / AIE intervention in coordination with State Project Directors of SSA.
During the year 2009 the following changes have been made to improve the implementation of the scheme: Food norms have been revised to ensure balanced and nutritious diet to children of upper primary group by increasing the quantity of pulses from 25 to 30 grams, vegetables from 65 to 75 grams and by decreasing the quantity of oil and fat from 10 grams to 7.5 grams.
Monitoring Mechanism
The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development has prescribed a comprehensive and elaborate mechanism for monitoring and supervision of the Mid Day Meal Scheme. The monitoring mechanism includes the following:
• Representatives of Gram Panchayats/Gram Sabhas, as well as Mothers' Committees are required to monitor the (i) regularity and wholesomeness of the mid day meal served to children, (ii) cleanliness in cooking and serving of the mid day meal, (iii) timeliness in procurement of good quality ingredients, fuel, etc. (iv) implementation of varied menu and (v) social and gender equity. This is required to be done on a daily basis.
• In order to ensure that there is transparency and accountability, all schools and centres where the programme is being implemented are required to display information suo-moto. This includes information on:
a) Quality of foodgrains received, date of receipt.
b) Quantity of foodgrains utilized.
c) Other ingredients purchased, utilized
d) Number of children given mid day meal.
e) Daily Menu
f) Roster of Community Members involved in the programme.
• Officers of the State Government/UTs belonging to the Departments of Revenue, Rural Development, Education and other related sectors, such as Women and Child Development, Food, Health are also required to inspect schools and centres where the programme is being implemented.
• The FCI is responsible for the continuous availability of adequate food grains in its Depots. It allows lifting of food grains for any month/quarter up to one month in advance so that supply chain of food grains remains uninterrupted. The District Collector/CEO of Zila Panchayat ensures that food grains of at least Fair Average Quality are issued by FCI.
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