The Ministry of Finance in India has recently instigated a 9.6% hike in the cooking cost per child under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, a centrally-sponsored initiative aimed at improving children’s health and education nationwide. Originally established in 1995, this initiative aims to provide cooked meals to every student between the ages of six and fourteen who enrols and attends school. Up until early 2020, the cooking cost per child stood at Rs 4.97 for primary school students (class I-V) and Rs 7.45 for upper primary school students (class VI-VIII). After the hike, these will increase to Rs 5.45 and Rs 8.17 respectively.
About the Midday Meal Scheme
The world’s largest school meal programme, the Midday Meal Scheme, is spearheaded by the Ministry of Education and set out with the goal of universalising primary education. Since its renaming in 2021 as ‘Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman’ scheme or PM Poshan Scheme, it has expanded to cover students of balvatikas, those within the 3–5-year age group, from pre-primary classes. This scheme seeks to tackle hunger and malnutrition, increase school enrollment and attendance, boost socialisation among castes, and offer employment on a grassroots level, particularly to women.
Midday Meal Scheme Regulation & Quality Assurance
A State Steering-cum Monitoring Committee (SSMC) oversees the implementation of the Midday Meal Scheme. The committee establishes mechanisms for maintaining nutritional standards and quality of meals. AGMARK quality items are procured and meal tastings are conducted by adult members of the school management committee. The scheme mandates that if a meals are not provided due to non-availability of food grains or other reasons, the State Government should provide a food security allowance by the 15th of the following month.
The Nutritional Standards, Coverage & Budget of The Midday Meal Scheme
The scheme stipulates nutritional standards of 450 calories and 12 gm protein for primary school students and 700 calories and 20 gm protein for upper primary students. The initiative extends to all government and government-aided schools, Madarsa, and Maqtabs supported under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). As per the latest data, the Midday Meal Scheme covers around 11.80 crore children aged between 6 to 14 years in over 11.20 lakh schools. For the financial year 2022-23, the Centre has earmarked Rs 10,233 crore for the scheme, with an expected expenditure of Rs 6,277 crore from the states.
Challenges Faced by the Midday Meal Scheme
Despite its widespread reach and numerous successes, the Midday Meal Scheme faces several challenges including corrupt practices, such as serving sub-standard food, and caste bias and discrimination within schools. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has posed severe threats to children’s health and nutritional rights, disrupting the delivery of essential services like the Midday Meals. Although families have received dry food grains or cash transfers, experts warn that these solutions do not have the same impact as hot cooked meals, particularly for girl children who face discrimination at home and are at a heightened risk of dropping out of school due to closures.
India’s Growing Malnutrition Problem
Despite the efforts of the Midday Meal Scheme, the malnutrition problem in India remains severe. According to the National Family Health Survey-5, numerous states across the country report worsening levels of child malnutrition. India is home to about 30% of the world’s stunted children and nearly 50% of severely wasted children under five. The Global Nutrition Report 2020 notes that India is among 88 countries likely to miss global nutrition targets by 2025, and the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 ranks India 94th out of 107 countries, indicating a “serious” level of hunger.
Way Forward: Improving the Midday Meal Scheme
To address these challenges, long-term interventions must focus on improving maternal height and education before they become mothers. Nutritionists argue that boosting maternal health and wellbeing is key to reducing stunting in their offspring. For inter-generational pay-offs, the expansion and improvement of school meals are crucial. As girls in India often finish school, get married and have children within a few years, school-based interventions can offer significant help.