Mid Day Meal Scheme in India: A Complete Guide

Table of Contents

“There are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” — Mahatma Gandhi.

The Mid Day Meal Scheme has increased school admissions. Students are now present in class. Parents are sending children to school because of meals served in schools. The program works for nutritional well-being and educational success.

The Mid Day Meal Scheme in India was introduced as crores of children in the country don’t receive even one nutritious meal daily. Many children in the country go to school on an empty stomach since they don’t receive food at home. When the Mid Day Meal Scheme launched in India, it aimed to provide kids at school with free lunch so that they could focus on learning instead of focusing on their hunger or thinking about food.

Parents from lower economic backgrounds who are struggling to feed their kids are more likely to send them to school if they know they will be able to eat one meal there free of cost. The Mid Day Meal Scheme has reduced cases of malnutrition & brought lakhs of children to school. Also, when children eat well, they are more likely to focus on their studies and do well at school. Also, they are more likely to stay in school and not drop out.

What is Mid Day Meal Scheme Exactly?

The Mid Day Meal Scheme in India is a government initiative providing lunch to primary and upper primary school children absolutely free of cost. In 2021, the Mid Day Meal Scheme was revised and renamed PM POSHAN. This included the addition of fortified foods, improved monitoring procedures, and increased financial support.

What is Mid Day Meal Scheme? Explain its Purpose

The purpose of the Mid Day Meal Scheme is simple. When children are hungry, they’re unable to focus on their studies. The program focuses on ensuring that every child gets at least one wholesome meal a day so that they can focus their attention on their education and not on hunger. Moreover, it encourages children coming from different backgrounds to sit together and eat, no matter what caste, religion or economic background they belong to. Doing this helps all the kids feel like they belong, no matter their background.

When Was the Mid Day Meal Scheme Started?

The Mid Day Meal Scheme was launched in 1925 by the Madras Municipal Corporation. The concept was later adopted by other territories. Recognising the benefits, the Government of India launched the scheme nationwide on August 15, 1995, under the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE).

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme Was Launched in Which Year and by Which State?

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme was first started in Tamil Nadu in 1925 and was expanded across the country in 1995.

Mid Day Meal Scheme Launched in India: By Which Ministry?

The Mid Day Meal Scheme was first introduced in 1925 by the Madras Corporation (now Chennai). It was later expanded by Tamil Nadu’s government and eventually adopted nationwide in the year 1995 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), which was later renamed the Ministry of Education in 2020. The scheme ensures that children across India receive nutritious meals in school, with the central and state governments working together to implement it.

Mid Day Meal Scheme – Goals:

The Mid Day Meal Scheme does a few things. Firstly, students who come from lower economic backgrounds get at least one wholesome meal a day. Secondly, since their stomachs are full, it allows them to focus on education without worrying about food. It also contributes to their mental and social development.

Access to healthy meals: Many children in India don’t get enough to eat. However, the Mid Day Meal Scheme helps address this issue by ensuring every student gets at least one wholesome meal a day when they are at school, which helps to ensure their academic and overall development.

School enrollment and attendance: By offering free meals, the Mid Day Meal Scheme also offers an incentive for parents to send their children to school in rural and especially in economically disadvantaged regions.

Student retention: The Mid Day Meal Scheme reduces dropout rates by supporting children who might otherwise be forced into child labour to earn their bread.

All children eat together: The Mid Day Meal Scheme encourages all children to eat together, no matter their social, religious and economic background. This helps them make friends with other children and also helps every child feel like they belong.

Job opportunities for women: Since the Mid Day Meal Scheme provides meals to children in schools, there is a need for cooks to make the food that will be served to the children. Therefore, the Mid Day Meal Scheme provides employment opportunities to women who can work as cooks and become more independent, which is a really good thing.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mid Day Meal Scheme

Advantages:

Healthy meals = healthy kids: Thanks to the Mid Day Meal Scheme, children in schools receive balanced meals rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients, which are key for their mental, physical, academic and overall development.

Increased school enrollment and attendance: Many children from poor families are encouraged to attend school due to the availability of free meals, reducing the burden on parents.

Enhanced learning capacity: Children who receive regular, nutritious meals show better cognitive development, improved concentration, and enhanced academic performance.

Encourages kids to treat other kids equally: Many times, children treat other children differently because they have social, economic or religious differences. But when they eat together during lunchtime, all this goes away. It is just children eating their lunch together, and they all feel like they belong.

Gives women jobs: As mentioned before, women can work as cooks to prepare the meals that are given to students, which helps them to be independent and take care of themselves.
Ensuring the meals are nutritious and safe: The government has this new system called PM Poshan, where the lunches provided to the kids are checked carefully. They ensure that the quality of the food is not compromised and the food is safe and nutritious for the kids.

Disadvantages:

Quality of food: While the Mid Day Meal Scheme has benefitted children’s nutrition, reports from certain states have highlighted inconsistencies in food quality and occasional instances of contamination. To address this, the government has introduced stricter monitoring, including food testing and real-time tracking.

Financial irregularities: Mismanagement of funds and corruption have been observed, which has negatively impacted the effectiveness of the scheme. That is why there is a need for transparency when it comes to this area.

Inadequate infrastructure: Many schools lack proper kitchens and storage facilities, which has led to food hygiene being compromised.

Nutritional deficiencies: In some cases, the food served may not meet the nutritional standards outlined by the government, leading to children developing vitamin deficiencies.

Operational challenges: There are problems with the scheme’s operations, leading to delays in funding and unreliable food delivery to schools.

Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN Scheme): How The Mid Day Meal Scheme Has Been Modified To Improve Its Effectiveness

The government came up with the PM POSHAN Scheme (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) to improve the Mid Day Meal Scheme. The main focus of the scheme is ending classroom hunger and providing better nutrition to children in primary as well as upper primary schools. They have made some changes so that they can reach more children in need.

Added vitamins in meals: The PM Poshan Scheme now includes meals with added vitamins and minerals, which will help improve students’ health. This helps to solve the issue of malnutrition that some children could be suffering from.

Improved monitoring of food: To ensure the meals given to the children are good quality, the government has introduced real-time monitoring systems.

Reaching areas and children that need the most help: The PM Poshan Scheme focuses on areas or regions which aren’t as developed. This has helped ensure that children living in these underserved and remote areas have access to nutritional meals.

Community participation: Schools are encouraged to involve parents, teachers, and local self-government bodies in monitoring the quality and delivery of meals.

Increased fund allocation: Recognising the importance of the scheme, the Government of India has increased budget allocations under PM POSHAN. State governments are also encouraged to contribute so that the scheme can be kept running.

Promoting children’s health: While PM POSHAN promotes health awareness, regular health check-ups and deworming are covered under separate programs like the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), not directly under the Mid Day Meal Scheme.

FAQs

Q1. What is the Mid-Day Meal Scheme?

Ans. The Mid Day Meal Scheme is a government program in India that provides free lunches to children in primary and upper primary schools. It focuses on improving the health of children, reducing the rate of school dropouts, and encouraging children to everyone equally.

Q2. Mid Day Meal Scheme was launched in which year?

Ans. The Mid Day Meal Scheme was launched in the year 1995 as a national program. However, some states had their own versions of the same earlier.

Q3. Mid Day Meal Scheme first started in which state?

Ans. The Mid Day Meal Scheme first started in Tamil Nadu.

Q4. Mid Day Meal Scheme launched by which ministry?

Ans. The Mid Day Meal Scheme was launched by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the PM POSHAN Scheme, which has evolved from the Mid Day Meal Scheme, is really bettering the lives of Indian children. It helps to reduce hunger, improve school attendance, and encourage social equality. While challenges regarding food quality and operational efficiency persist, the program’s overall impact on children’s nutrition, education, and well-being is undeniable. If we want India’s kids to have a healthier and fairer future, we need to keep making this program better.

If you want to do your bit and help a child from an underprivileged family eat timely and nutritious meals, you can join Ketto’s growing Food and Hunger Social Impact Plan community and contribute as little as Rs 100 a month and make a difference.