A REVIEW ON MID-DAY MEAL SCHEME

Abstract

India has embarked on an ambitious scheme of providing mid-day meals (MDM) in government and government-assisted primary schools with the twin goals of improving health and education for poor children. The financial and organizational responsibilities of this program are immense, and it is therefore seen as an alternative to providing food stamps or the transfer of income to targeted beneficiaries. We demonstrate that in the Indian context, the alternative distribution method is not feasible because it can lead to adverse consumption choices by the heads of the targeted households. We also assess whether or not the meals delivered by the MDM system provide the targeted children with proper nutrition, food protection, and comfort and variety. Laboratory findings indicate that, relative to the daily requirements in general, nutritional delivery through meals is low and, in particular, much lower in nutrients such as protein, fat, iron and iodine in comparison to the amount of food. In addition, tests on food grains procured for the scheme showed that uric acid and aflatoxin were present. By collaborating with private entities and NGOs and by including chikki, sukhdi, fortified nutrition bar, and fruit on the weekly menu, the delivery of the MDM scheme can be enhanced. This will not only complement food intake, but will provide protection and variety, and can provide more interaction time between students and teachers for research purposes by reducing the delivery time.