Midday Meal Scheme

Midday Meal Scheme

The Midday Meal Scheme is a school meal programme in India designed to improve the nutritional status of school-age children nationwide. The programme supplies free lunches on working days for children in primary and upper primary classes in government, government aided, local body, Education Guarantee Scheme, and alternate innovative education centres, Madarsa and Maqtabs supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and National Child Labour Project schools run by the ministry of labour.

History

The Midday Meal Scheme was launched by the Government of India in August 1996. The programme was introduced in a phased manner, initially covering students in classes I to V in government and government-aided schools. The scheme was later extended to cover students in classes VI to VIII.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Midday Meal Scheme are to protect children from classroom hunger, increase school enrolment and attendance, improve socialization among children belonging to all castes, address malnutrition, and social empowerment through provision of employment to women.

Implementation

The Midday Meal Scheme is implemented by the state governments and union territories. The central government provides assistance to the state governments in the form of cost sharing. The state governments have the responsibility of providing the necessary infrastructure, undertaking monitoring and evaluation, ensuring quality of meals served, and providing funds for the implementation of the scheme.

Impact

The Midday Meal Scheme has had a significant impact on the nutritional status of children, school enrolment and attendance, and social equity. Studies have shown that the scheme has helped in reducing the dropout rate in schools and improving the nutritional status of children.

Challenges

Despite its success, the Midday Meal Scheme faces several challenges such as irregular supply of food grains, inadequate cooking and storage facilities, and lack of community participation. The government is taking steps to address these challenges and improve the effectiveness of the scheme.

See Also

• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
• National Child Labour Project
• Education Guarantee Scheme

References

• Midday Meal Scheme. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midday_Meal_Scheme
• Midday Meal Scheme. (n.d.). In Government of India. Retrieved from https://mdm.nic.in/
• Midday Meal Scheme. (n.d.). In UNICEF India. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/mid-day-meal-scheme

External Links

• Official Website of Midday Meal Scheme
• UNICEF India - Midday Meal Scheme