The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is a school feeding program that was introduced by the Madras Municipal Corporation in 1925. The Mid Day Meal Scheme is a well-intentioned programme. It aims to provide at least one nutritionally adequate meal per day (lunch) to the disadvantaged children. Cooked meals with specified nutritional values are provided to the children of age 6 to 14 years. This meal is offered to every child who is enrolled in government schools, government-aided schools, local body schools, and special training centres (STC).

In this article on Mid Day Meal Scheme, the objectives, features and some of the best practices involved in the implementation of the scheme are discussed. Aspirants should have a strong hold over this topic because questions related to government schemes are repeatedly asked in both UPSC Prelims and UPSC Mains examination.

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What is Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)?

The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is a government-sponsored program in India that aims to provide nutritious meals to schoolchildren across the country. The primary objectives of the scheme are to enhance enrollment and attendance in schools, improve the nutritional status of children, and encourage social and gender equity in education.

History of Mid Day Meal Scheme in India

The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) has a brief history as follows:

• In 1925, the Madras Municipal Corporation introduced the scheme. It provided free lunches to disadvantaged children attending government or government-aided schools in their jurisdiction.
• By the mid-1980s, the scheme expanded to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, and Pondicherry.
• With time, several states in India adopted the scheme. It led to its implementation in various parts of the country.
• To implement the scheme on a national level, the GoI introduced the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) on 15th August 1995. It was later renamed as the National Programme of Mid-Day Meals in Schools. Now, it is commonly known as the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme.
• In 2001, the Supreme Court of India directed all state governments to provide cooked mid-day meals in all government and government-aided primary schools.
• Karnataka, Odisha, and West Bengal secured international assistance to support the execution of the program, whereas in Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Rajasthan, the initiative was entirely funded through foreign aid.
• In Karnataka, the inception of midday meals was initiated by the Children's LoveCastles Trust in 1997. This endeavor began with the adoption of eight schools and the establishment of both a food bank program and an Anganwadi milk program. Eventually, the state government introduced its own midday meal scheme, supplanting the food bank initiative.

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Objectives Of the Mid Day Meal Program

This scheme (National Programme of Mid-Day Meals in school) was introduced with the following objectives:

• To enhance the enrollment, retention, and attendance of Children in Primary education.
• To improve the nutritional levels among school-going children.
• To reduce the gender gap in education and nutrition.
• To foster equality among children by removing the caste prejudices and inequalities.
• To eliminate classroom hunger.

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Features of the Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)

• The MDMS is considered to be the largest school feeding program in the World.
• Under this scheme, a mid-day meal with 450 calories and 12 g of protein for every child at primary level and 700 calories and 20 g of protein at the upper primary level.
• The Mid Day Meal Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme. The cost involved in implementing the scheme is shared by the Central and respective State governments.
• The Central government provides free food grains to all the states.
• The Central government shares the cost involved in cooking, transportation of food grains, infrastructure development, and payment to cooks and helpers, with the respective state governments.
• Depending on the need, the contribution made by the states varies from one another.
• It is implemented and monitored by the Ministry of Education.
• Schools purchase AGMARK quality items for midday meals.
• Meals must be served on school premises.
• Schools need hygienic cooking facilities.
• School Management Committees (SMCs) monitor MDMS.
• SMCs are required by the Right to Education Act.
• Headmasters can use school funds for meals but must reimburse the MDM fund.
• The State FDA may check meal quality.
• Food allowance provided if cooked meals aren't available:
  • Child's entitled food grain quantity.
  • State's cooking cost.

Structure of the Mid Day Meal Scheme in India

The scheme is implemented by employing any of the following three models:

• Centralized model – In this model, food is prepared by some service providers and is distributed to the schools.
• Decentralized model – In this model, food is prepared in the school with the help of local self-help groups.
• International assistance – International charity organizations support the schools in implementing the scheme.

Several Non-Governmental Organizations support the implementation of this Scheme under the public-private partnership with the state governments. Akshaya Patra Foundation, Nandi organization, and Annamrita are some of those NGOs.

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Beneficiaries of the Mid Day Meal Scheme in India 

The children of class I to class VIII studying in

• Government schools
• Government aided schools
• Special Training Centers and
• Madrasas (secondary religious schools) and Maktabs (elementary religious schools) which are supported under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
• It also covers the children studying in the schools which run under the Alternative and Innovative Education and National Child Labour Project across the country.
• During the summer vacation, elementary children in the drought-affected areas are also provided food under this scheme. This is done to ensure proper nutritional support to the children.

Renaming of Mid Day Meal to PM Poshan

The Mid Day Meal Scheme has been renamed 'PM Poshan Shakti' as the government focuses on child nutrition in the country.

• The scheme provides hot meals to children in grades 1 to 8 in all government and government-aided schools. This is benefiting nearly 11.80 crore children.
• The PM Poshan plan aims to include an additional 24 lakh children in pre-primary schools.
• The PM Poshan scheme is similar to the Mid Day Meal Program in terms of finance and organization. However, it will have fewer interventions.
• The 'PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme' will be implemented for a five-year period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• The financing structure of the scheme remains unchanged. 
  • The central and state governments pool resources in a ratio of 60:40 for general category states. 
  • This would be 90:10 for special category states, as it was before.

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About the PM Poshan Scheme

• The Government of India’s flagship initiative, POSHAN Abhiyaan, aims to improve the nutritional outcomes of children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
• The POSHAN Abhiyaan has been shaped in part by the NITI Aayog.
• The majority of the recommendations in the Strategy paper were included in the design of the POSHAN Abhiyaan, and now that the Abhiyaan has been started, NITI Aayog has been tasked with closely monitoring it and conducting periodic reviews.
• For the implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan, the four point strategy/pillars of the mission are:
  • Inter-sectoral convergence for better service delivery
  • Use of technology (ICT) for real-time growth monitoring and tracking of women and children.
  • Intensified health and nutrition services for the first 1000 days
  • Jan Andolan

Learn more about the Global Nutrition Report 2021 here!

Mid Day Meal Rules, 2015

Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA ) of 2013, the Central Government notified the Mid-Day Meal Rules on 30th September 2015. Following are some of the important rules listed under the Mid-Day Meal Rules of 2015,

• Every child under the age group 6 to 14 years who enroll and attend the school should be provided meals everyday (except for school holidays) free of charge as per the prescribed nutritional standards.
• The meals should be provided only on the school premises.
• The meal cooked at the schools should be tested for the nutritional standards and certified by the Government Food Research Laboratory or any laboratory accredited or recognized by law.
• If the Mid-Day Meal is not provided in school on any school day due to any reasons, then the State Government should pay food security allowance to every child before the 15th of the succeeding month.
• It is the responsibility of the State Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee to ensure the implementation of the scheme and maintenance of the specified nutritional standards.
• To meet the temporary unavailability of food grains, cooking cost, etc., the headmaster or headmistress of the school is empowered to utilise the fund available in the school, which will be reimbursed to the school account soon after receiving the mid-day meal fund.

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Mid Day Meal Programme Implementation

The Central and State Governments collaborate to implement the Mid Day Meal Program.

• The federal government provides instructions to the state governments for implementing the program. Some states have their own rules that differ from the Central Guidelines.
• A National Steering-Current-Monitoring Committee (NSMC) has been set up. This monitors the program. It provides policy recommendations to both the federal and state governments.
• State-level steering and monitoring committees are also in place to oversee the program.
• The Programme Approval Board releases central aid. Aid is released as subsidies when the committee's Annual Work Plan is submitted.
• A nodal department has been given authority to take charge of the program. This department sets up implementation cells. One officer is assigned to each district and block to ensure effective implementation.
• In states where elementary education is their responsibility, Panchayats/Urban Local Bodies are in charge of the program.

Learn more about the Healthy States Progressive India Report here!

Key Issues in the Implementation of the MDM Scheme

Some of the key issues in implementing this scheme are as follows,

• Caste based discrimination in serving food is reported in states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• In several states, there needs to be more consistency in serving meals.
• Mostly, there is an irregularity in supplying food grains to the schools.
• Community participation could be better in states such as Jharkhand, Manipur, etc.
• The food provided at several schools must meet the nutritional standards and be of better hygiene.

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Criticism Towards MDM Scheme

The scheme has been criticized for many reasons, including the following:

• The quality of food served under the scheme is often poor. Media reports have often highlighted cases of children being served contaminated food. The food served is rotten or otherwise unfit for consumption.
• There have been allegations of corruption in the implementation of the scheme. School officials have been accused of diverting funds meant for the scheme for other purposes.
• The scheme has been criticized for not being inclusive enough. Children from marginalized communities are often denied access to the scheme.
• The scheme has been criticized for not being effective enough in reducing malnutrition in India. Despite the scheme, India still has a high rate of malnutrition among children.
• Linking Aadhaar to the midday meal scheme has its own drawbacks. Many children do not have Aadhaar cards, limiting their access to the scheme.

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