midday meal scheme

Overview

In July 2006 the scheme was further revised

cooking cost North Eastern Region, UT

The scheme was revised In September 2004Cooking cost Management, monitoring

and evaluation costs Transport subsidy

NP-NSPE was launched on 15th August 1995

Central Assistance

Universalisation of primary education

Enhancing enrollment

Retention

Attendance

Nutritional levels among children

Encouraging poor children

Objective

Coverage

All children of primary and upper primary classes attending:

• Govt. Schools• Govt. aided Schools• local body schools• Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) / Alternative Innovative

Education (AIE) • centers including madarasas / maqtabs.

Impl

emen

tatio

n M

echa

nism

Management & Supervision: School level

Representatives of GPs/ VECs, PTAs, SDMCs to monitor:

• Regularity/ wholesomeness of meal; cleanliness in cooking• Timeliness in purchase of good quality ingredients, fuel • Foster social and gender equity.

Display of Information under Right to Information Act:

• Quantity of food grains received/utilised,• Other ingredients purchased, utilized • Number of children given mid day meal. • Daily Menu• Roster of Community Members involved

Monitoring Mechanism

Task force at District/Block levels by States/UTs.

District Level Committees comprising public representatives e.g. MPs/MLAs etc. to monitor the implementation of MDM Scheme.

State level Steering-cum-Management Committee (SSMC)/National Steering-cum-Management Committee (NSMC).

Programme Approval Board (PAB) meetings.

National level Review Meetings and Regional Review Meetings.

Periodic returns : QPRs / Food grains Lifting confirmation returns

Mandatory Inspections of 25% schools every quarter.

Mid-day meal scheme implementation status in 2003

Status today

Beneficiaries

All states provide cooked meals to all primary school children

In 2006, 130 million children got cooked food everyday

Costs per child per day

Rs. 2.21 in 2004

Rs. 3.06 in 2006

Covers children studying in classes I to VIII

Nutritional norms

*27 States/UTs are implementing School Health Programme.

Components Primary Upper Primary

Calories 450 700

Protein 12 gms 20 gms

Micro-nutrients* Adequate quantities of micro nutrients like Iron, Folic acid and Vitamin-A

Status today cont.

Private Sector Participation

The foundation is now serving MDMs to almost a million children every day and hopes to feed over 20 million children by 2020.

• Akshaya Patra, started with leadership from ISKCON

Karnataka

• Infosys, Bharti and Jindal are major donors

Software corporations • Rural Karnataka,

Delhi, Hydrabad

Replication of same model

Other aspects of MDMP

Source: Planning Commission (2009): Chapter 1: Education

Gujarat

• Iron Tablets• Deworming

tablets

Tamil Nadu

• Deworming tablets

Rural/Urban

• Benefited 9.1% of RP/4.2% of UP.

More than 25cr

• MDMS will cover about 25 crore children by the year 2010–11

Benefits of MDMS

Promoting school participation

Preventing classroom hunger

Facilitating the healthy growth of

children

Enhancing gender equity

Ensuring psychological

benefits.

Transparency & Accountability

Required to display the following information :

Quality of food grains received, date of receipt;

Quantity of food grains utilized;

Other ingredients purchased, utilized;

Number of children given mid day meal;

Daily Menu;

List of community members involved in the programme.

Conclusion

MDM has contributed positively towards Social change.

It has vast potential of transforming children’s minds in healthy direction.

It has some difficulties in implementation, which can be sorted out with a will power to improve.

The scheme has contributed towards checking Child labour.

References

1. http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/11th/11_v2/11v2_ch1.pdf

2. Parikh, Kalpana and Yasmeen, Summiya (2004): Groundswell for mid-day meal scheme, India

3. Wikipedia (2009): Mid day Meal Scheme, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-day_Meal_Scheme

4. http://www.education.nic.in/Elementary/elementary.asp

5. http://india.gov.in/sectors/education/mid_day_meal.php

6. http://www.educationforallinindia.com/mid-day-meal.html

Thank You