View source for Midday Meal Scheme

{{Short description|Lunch program for students in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox project
| hi = <!-- Alternatively, use native_name -->
| logo = Mid-day meal scheme logo.jpg
| image = File:The Children being served the food under the Mid-day Meal Scheme at a primary school, Wokha district in Nagaland.jpg
| caption = Students receiving mid-day meal at a school in [[Wokha district]] of [[Nagaland]] state
| mission_statement = 
| type = Government of India
| country = India
| primeminister = 
| key_people =
| launched = 1995
<!-- {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| disestablished = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| budget = 
| current_status = Active
| website = https://pmposhan.education.gov.in/
}}

The '''Midday Meal Scheme''', officially '''PM-POSHAN''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Poshan Abhiyaan - Jan Andolan |url=https://poshanabhiyaan.gov.in/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=poshanabhiyaan.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Mid-Day Meal scheme to be now called PM POSHAN, to cover students of pre-primary classes also - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/mid-day-meal-scheme-to-be-now-called-pm-poshan-to-cover-students-of-pre-primary-classes-also/articleshow/86616637.cms|access-date=2021-10-13|website=The Times of India|date=29 September 2021 }}</ref> is a mandatory free [[school meal]] programme in India designed to better the [[nutrition]]al status of school-age children nationwide.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last=Chettiparambil-Rajan|first=Angelique|date=July 2007|title=India: A Desk Review of the Mid-Day Meals Programme|url=http://home.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/newsroom/wfp207424.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020230641/http://home.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/newsroom/wfp207424.pdf|archive-date=20 October 2013|access-date=28 July 2013|website=World Food Programme}}</ref> The programme supplies free lunches on working days for children in government primary and upper primary schools, government-aided ''[[anganwadi]]s'' (pre-school), ''[[Madrasa|madrasas]]'' and ''[[maqtab]]s''.<ref name=":12">{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions on Mid Day Meal Scheme|url=http://mdm.nic.in/Files/Right%20to%20information/Frequently_Asked_Questions_on_MDM.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021004336/http://mdm.nic.in/Files/Right%20to%20information/Frequently_Asked_Questions_on_MDM.pdf|archive-date=21 October 2013|access-date=24 June 2014|website=mdm.nic.in (Mid Day Meal Scheme, Ministry of Education, Government of India)}}</ref> Serving 120 million children in over 1.27 million schools and Education Guarantee Scheme centres, the Midday Meal Scheme is the largest of its kind in the world.<ref name=":5">{{cite web|title=About the Mid Day Meal Scheme|url=http://mdm.nic.in/aboutus.html|access-date=28 July 2013|publisher=mdm.nic.in (Mid Day Meal Scheme, Ministry of Education, Government of India)}}</ref>

In 1920, [[A. Subbarayalu Reddiar]], the first Chief Minister of the [[Madras Presidency]], introduced the mid-day meal scheme in a Corporation school in the Thousand Lights area. The initiative was based on the idea proposed by [[P. Theagaraya Chetty]], who was serving as the President of the [[Justice Party (India)|Justice Party]] at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DT Next |date=2018-07-16 |title=Chennai served first mid-day meal ever |url=https://www.dtnext.in/city/2018/07/16/chennai-served-first-midday-meal-ever |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=www.dtnext.in |language=en}}</ref>

The Midday Meal Scheme has been implemented in the Union Territory of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] under the French Administration since 1930.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mid Day Meal Puducherry|url=https://mdm.py.gov.in/Index.aspx|access-date=2021-10-13|website=mdm.py.gov.in}}</ref> In post-independent India, the Midday Meal Scheme was first launched in [[Tamil Nadu]], pioneered by the former [[Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu|Chief Minister]] [[K. Kamaraj]] in the early 1960s. By 2002, the scheme was implemented in all of the states under the orders of the [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=School Mid-day Meals - Right to Food Campaign|url=http://www.righttofoodcampaign.in/school-meals|access-date=2021-10-13|website=www.righttofoodcampaign.in|archive-date=16 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016171912/http://www.righttofoodcampaign.in/school-meals|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2021, the [[Government of India|Central Government]] announced that an additional 2.4 million students receiving pre-primary education at government and government-aided schools would also be included under the scheme by 2022.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-09-29|title=Centre extends mid-day meal scheme to 24 lakh pre-primary students|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-extends-mid-day-meal-scheme-to-24-lakh-pre-primary-students/article36739905.ece|access-date=2021-10-13|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>{{Needs update|date=May 2025}}

Under article 24, paragraph 2c<ref>{{cite web|date=20 November 1989|title=Convention on the Rights of the Child|url=http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx|access-date=28 July 2013|website=ohchr.org (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. UN Human Rights.)|publisher=United Nations}}</ref> of the [[Convention on the Rights of the Child]], to which India is a party,<ref>{{cite web|title=India and United Nations – Human Rights|url=http://www.un.int/india/india_and_the_un_hr.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502160113/http://www.un.int/india/india_and_the_un_hr.html|archive-date=2 May 2010|access-date=28 July 2013|website=www.un.int (United Nations Permanent Missions)}}</ref> India has committed to yielding "adequate nutritious food" for children. The programme has undergone many changes since its launch in 1995. The Midday Meal Scheme is covered by the [[National Food Security Act, 2013]]. The legal backing for the Indian school meal programme is akin to the legal backing provided in the US through the [[National School Lunch Act]].

== History ==
The Midday Meal Scheme refers to the government of India programme introduced in all government elementary schools to provide children with cooked lunches. [[Tamil Nadu]] was the first state in India to introduce this scheme. The first school which had the scheme was the Sourashtra Boys Higher Secondary School, [[Madurai]], which implemented it in 1955. On 28 November 2001 the [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] asked all state governments to begin this programme in their schools within 6 months.<ref name=":3" /> The programme has shown many positive effects. Many parents who couldn't send their children to schools due to poverty, were eager to get their children free nutritious food and this incentivized them to send their children to school. The Midday Meal Scheme increased the number of school-going children.

=== Roots of the programme ===
The roots of the programme can be traced back to the pre-independence era, when a midday meal programme was introduced in 1925 in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Swaminathan|first1=Padmini|last2=Jeyaranjan|first2=J.|last3=Sreenivasan|first3=R.|last4=Jayashree|first4=K.|date=2004|title=Tamil Nadu's Midday Meal Scheme: Where Assumed Benefits Score over Hard Data|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4415741|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|volume=39|issue=44|pages=4811–4821|jstor=4415741|issn=0012-9976}}</ref> Initiatives by state governments began in the 1962–63 school year.<ref name=":2" />

The Indian state [[Tamil Nadu]] was a pioneer in introducing midday meal programmes in India to increase the number of children enrolling in school; [[K. Kamaraj]], the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at the time, introduced it first in Chennai and later extended it to all districts of Tamil Nadu.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=http://www.nihfw.org/NationalHealthProgramme/MID_DAYMEAL.html |title=Mid-Day Meal Programme |publisher=National Institute of Health & Family Welfare |date=2009 |access-date=28 July 2013}}</ref> During 1982, 1 July onwards, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, [[M. G. Ramachandran]] upgraded the existing midday meal scheme in the state to 'Nutritious noon-meal scheme'<ref>{{Cite news |last=Subramanian |first=K. |date=2022-12-22 |title=When MGR proved Manmohan wrong on a visionary scheme |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/when-mgr-proved-manmohan-wrong-on-a-visionary-scheme/article66293772.ece |url-access=limited |access-date=2022-12-26 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> keeping in mind that around 68 lakh children were malnourished.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mgr-midday-nutritious-meal-scheme-a-shrewd-political-move/1/392281.html |title=Tamil Nadu: Midday Manna |publisher=India Today Archive |date=15 November 1982 |access-date=29 January 2016}}</ref> [[Gujarat]] was the second state to introduce an MDM scheme in 1984, but it was later discontinued.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mdm.nic.in/Files/PAB/PAB%202010-11/STATE%20PPTS/Gujarat%20gajarat.pdf|title=Annual Work Plan & Budget 2010–11, Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Gujarat State|publisher=Government of Gujarat|access-date=24 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150604001317/http://mdm.nic.in/Files/PAB/PAB%202010-11/STATE%20PPTS/Gujarat%20gajarat.pdf|archive-date=4 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A midday meal scheme was introduced in [[Kerala]] in 1984, and was gradually expanded to include more schools and grades.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mdm.nic.in/Files/PAB/PAB2013-14/Kerala/Appraisal_Note-Kerala.pdf|title=Appraisal Note: State: Kerala|publisher=Government of India Ministry of Human Resource Development|access-date=24 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915205448/http://mdm.nic.in/Files/PAB/PAB2013-14/Kerala/Appraisal_Note-Kerala.pdf|archive-date=15 September 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> By 1990–91, twelve states were funding the scheme to all or most of the students in their area: [[Goa]], [[Gujarat]], [[Kerala]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Meghalaya]], [[Mizoram]], [[Nagaland]], [[Sikkim]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Tripura]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]]. [[Karnataka]], [[Odisha]] and [[West Bengal]] received international aid to help with the implementation of the programme, while in [[Andhra Pradesh|AP]] and [[Rajasthan]] the programme was completely funded by foreign aid.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://pibmumbai.gov.in/English/PDF/E0000_H12.PDF|title = Mid Day Meal|publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |access-date=24 June 2014}}</ref>

In [[Karnataka]], the [[Children's LoveCastles Trust]] started providing midday meals in 1997. A total of eight schools were adopted and a [[food bank]] programme and an Angganwasi milk Programme were started. The food-bank programme was replaced by the State Government midday meal scheme.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-neighbourhood/lessons-outside-the-classroom/article483116.ece|title = Lessons Outside the Classroom |work=The Hindu |date = 24 June 2010 |access-date=23 March 2016|last1 = Chandra |first1 = Meghana }}</ref>

===Initiatives by the central government===
[[File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee launched the Mid-Day Meal Scheme for Nursery & KG Classes of the Kalyan Kendra School at Kalyan Kendra of Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on February 15, 2013.jpg|thumb|President [[Pranab Mukherjee]] launching mid-day meal scheme at a Central Government-run school]]
The government of India initiated the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) on 15 August 1995.<ref name=":5" /> The objective of the scheme is to help improve the effectiveness of primary education by improving the nutritional status of primary school children. Initially, the scheme was implemented in 2,408 blocks of the country to provide food to students in classes one through five of government, government-aided and local body run schools. By 1997–98, the scheme had been implemented across the country. Under this programme, a cooked midday meal with 300 calories and 12 grams of protein is provided to all children enrolled in classes one to five. In October 2007, the scheme included students in upper primary classes of six to eight in 3,479 educationally backward blocks,<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Mid-Day Meal for the Poor, Privatised Education for the Non-Poor|date = 27 July 2013|url = http://www.epw.in/special-articles/mid-day-meal-poor-privatised-education-non-poor.html|first1 = Manisha |last1=Garg |first2=Kalyan Sankar |last2=Mandal|journal = Economic and Political Weekly|access-date = 28 July 2013|volume = 48|issue = 30|page = 155}}</ref> and the name was changed from National Programme for Nutrition Support to Primary Education to National Programme of Mid Day Meals in Schools.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://mdm.nic.in/Files/Monitoring/NSCMC/Agenda_Note_for_NSMC_meeting_21_12_12.pdf|title = Agenda note of 5th meeting of National Steering and Monitoring Committee meeting|website = Mdm.nic.in|access-date = 26 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160316013011/http://mdm.nic.in/Files/Monitoring/NSCMC/Agenda_Note_for_NSMC_meeting_21_12_12.pdf|archive-date = 16 March 2016|url-status = dead}}</ref> Though cooked food was to be provided, most states (apart from those already providing cooked food) chose to provide "dry rations" to students. "Dry rations" refers to the provision of uncooked 3&nbsp;kg of wheat or rice to children with 80% attendance. 

=== Supreme court order ===
In April 2001, the [[People's Union for Civil Liberties]] (PUCL) initiated the [[Public interest law|Public Interest Litigation]] (Civil) No. 196/2001, People's Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India & Others<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.sccommissioners.org/Reports/Reports/SCC6_1005.pdf|title = Sixth Report Of the Commissioners|last = Dr. N.C. Saxena|access-date = 28 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062955/http://www.sccommissioners.org/Reports/Reports/SCC6_1005.pdf|archive-date = 4 March 2016|url-status = dead}}</ref> – popularly known as the "right to food" case. The PUCL argued that [[s:Constitution of India/Part III#Article 21 .7BProtection of life and personal liberty.7D|article 21]] – "right to life" of the Indian constitution when read together with articles [[s:Constitution of India/Part IV#Article 39 .7BCertain principles of policy to be followed by the State.7D|39]](a) and [[s:Constitution of India/Part IV#Article 47 .7BDuty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health.7D|47]], makes the right to food a derived [[Fundamental Rights in India|fundamental right]] which is enforceable by virtue of the constitutional remedy provided under [[s:Constitution of India/Part III#Article 32 .7BRemedies for enforcement of rights conferred by this Part.7D|article 32]] of the constitution. The PUCL argued that excess food stocks with the [[Food Corporation of India]] should be fed to hungry citizens. This included providing midday meals in primary schools. The scheme came into force with the supreme court order dated 28 November 2001,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.righttofoodindia.org/mdm/mdm_scorders.html |title=Right to Food Campaign: Mid Day Meals |publisher=Righttofoodindia.org |date=20 October 2009 |access-date=28 July 2013 |archive-date=1 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601200029/http://www.righttofoodindia.org/mdm/mdm_scorders.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> which requires all government and government-assisted primary schools to provide cooked midday meals.<ref name=":7">{{cite web|url = http://www.sccommissioners.org/FoodSchemes/Documents/mdm_primer.pdf|title = Mid Day Meals: A Primer|access-date = 28 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150716151500/http://www.sccommissioners.org/FoodSchemes/Documents/mdm_primer.pdf|archive-date = 16 July 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>

==== Interim orders ====
The Supreme Court occasionally issues interim orders regarding midday meals.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.righttofoodindia.org/orders/interimorders.html|title = Legal Action: Supreme Court Orders|access-date = 28 July 2013}}</ref> Some examples are:<ref name=":7" />
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Order regarding !! Exact text !! Order dated
|-
| Basic entitlement || "Every child in every place and Government assisted Primary Schools with a prepared midday meal with a minimum content of 300 calories and 8–12 grams of protein each day of school for a minimum of 200 days" || 28 November 2001<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.righttofoodindia.org/orders/nov28.html|title = SUPREME COURT ORDER OF NOVEMBER 28, 2001|website=Rightoffoodindia.org|access-date = 28 July 2013}}</ref>
|-
| Charges on conversion cost || "The conversion costs for a cooked meal, under no circumstances, shall be recovered from the children or their parents" || 20 April 2004<ref name=":11">{{cite web|url = http://www.righttofoodindia.org/orders/apr2004.html|title = ORDER OF APR 20, 2004|website=Rightoffoodindia.org}}</ref>
|-
| Central assistance || "The Central Government... shall also allocate funds to meet with the conversion costs of food-grains into cooked midday meals" || 20 April 2004<ref name=":11" />
|-
| Kitchen sheds || "The Central Government shall make provisions for construction of kitchen sheds" || 20 April 2004<ref name=":11" />
|-
| Priority to Dalit cooks || "In appointment of cooks and helpers, preference shall be given to Dalits, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes" || 20 April 2004<ref name=":11" />
|-
| Quality safeguards || "Attempts shall be made for better infrastructure, improved facilities (safe drinking water etc.), closer monitoring (regular inspection etc.) and other quality safeguards as also the improvement of the contents of the meal so as to provide nutritious meal to the children of the primary schools" || 20 April 2004<ref name=":11" />
|-
| Drought areas || "In drought affected areas, midday meals shall be supplied even during summer vacations" || 20 April 2004<ref name=":11" />
|}

=== Entitlements ===
The nutritional guidelines for the minimum amount of food and calorie content per child per day are:<ref name=":12" />
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Entitlement norm per child per day under MDM
|-
! Item !! Primary (class one to five)   !! Upper primary (class six to eight)
|-
| Calories  || 450  || 700
|-
| Protein (in grams)  || 12 || 20
|-
| Rice / wheat (in grams)  || 100 || 150
|-
| Dal (in grams) || 20 || 30
|-
| Vegetables (in grams) || 50 || 75
|-
| Oil and fat (in grams) || 5 || 7.5
|}
In the case of [[micronutrient]]s ([[vitamin A]], iron, and [[folate]]) tablets and de-worming medicines, the student is entitled to receive the amount provided for in the school health programme of the [[National Rural Health Mission]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mohfw.nic.in/WriteReadData/l892s/2099676248file5.pdf |title=Guidelines of the School Health Programme|website=Mohfw.nic.in |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref>

=== Finances ===
The central and state governments share the cost of the Midday Meal Scheme, with the centre providing 60 percent and the states 40 percent.<ref name=":6">{{cite journal|last=Press Information bureau|first=HRD, Govt of India|date=22 December 2015|title=Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Nutrition and Corporate Capital|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=133797|journal=Press Information|publisher=Ministry of Human Resource Development|issue=30|access-date=8 November 2016}}</ref> The central government provides grains and financing for other food. Costs for facilities, transportation, and labour is shared by the federal and state governments.<ref name=":8">{{cite web|author=Joyita Ghose |url=http://www.prsindia.org/theprsblog/?p=2825 |title=the PRS Blog " The Mid Day Meal Scheme |publisher=Prsindia.org |date=23 July 2013 |access-date=28 July 2013}}</ref> The participating states/territories contribute different amounts of money, depending on whether they are Himalayan states, Northeastern Region (NER) states, union territories without legislature, or the residual (Non-NER states and union territories with legislature).<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":4">Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF). 2021. [https://gcnf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/State-Survey-of-School-Meal-Programs-in-India-Report-with-Annexes.pdf State Survey of School Meal Programs: India 2020]. GCNF: Seattle.</ref> The share contributed by states is often larger than what is stipulated. While the eleventh five-year plan allocated {{INRConvert|384.9|b|lk=|year=2020}} for the scheme, the twelfth five-year plan has allocated {{INRConvert|901.55|b}}, a 134 percent rise.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/123-jump-in-money-allocated-for-upa-flagship-schemes-113010100135_1.html |title=123% jump in money allocated for UPA flagship schemes |newspaper=Business Standard India |publisher=Business Standard |date=1 January 2013 |access-date=28 July 2013 |last1=Tiwari |first1=Santosh }}</ref> The public expenditure for the Mid Day Meal Programme has gone up from {{INRConvert|73.24|b}} in 2007–08 to {{INRConvert|132.15|b}} in 2013–14.<ref name=":0" /> In 2020–21, the Midday Meal Scheme budget comprised 11% of the total budget for the Ministry of Education.<ref name=":4" /> The per day cooking cost per child at the primary level has been fixed to {{INRConvert|4.13}} while at the upper primary level is {{INRConvert|6.18}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=MHRD increases Cooking cost under mid-day meal scheme|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/07/mhrd-increases-cooking-cost-under-mid-day-meal-scheme/|work=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|access-date=15 July 2014}}</ref> As of FY24 - 25, the budget estimate of the PM Poshan Scheme  stands at Rs. 12,467.39 crore (US$ 1.49 billion).<ref>{{Cite web |title=PM POSHAN Scheme {{!}} Union Budgetary Allocation |url=https://pmposhan.education.gov.in/Union%20Budgetary.html |url-status=live |website=PM POSHAN Scheme |publisher=Government of India}}</ref>

=== Implementation models ===

==== Decentralised model ====
This is the most widespread practice. In the decentralised model, meals are cooked on-site by local cooks and helpers or [[self-help groups]]. This system has the advantage of being able to serve local cuisine, providing jobs in the area, and minimising waste. It also allows for better monitoring (e.g., by parents and teachers). In total, the MDM Scheme employs over 2.5 million cooks/food preparers (referred to as cooks-cum-helpers), usually providing a small honorarium for their work (equal to approximately US$14 per month).<ref>Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF). 2021. Global Survey of School Meal Programs Country Report, India. Accessed January 26, 2023 at: https://gcnf.org/country-reports/ .</ref>

In the absence of adequate infrastructure (such as kitchen sheds, utensils etc.), it can lead to accidents and maintaining hygiene can be difficult.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Priya Shankar |author2=Natasha S. K. |editor=Aditi Bam |title=Interrogating 'best practices' for the Implementation of School Nutrition Programmes in Urban India|url=http://centreforequitystudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Best-practices-Mid-day-meal.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129050252/http://centreforequitystudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Best-practices-Mid-day-meal.pdf|archive-date=29 November 2014|access-date=28 July 2013|website=Centre for Equity Studies, Delhi|postscript=. A report for the Office of the Commissioners to the Supreme Court in CWP 196/2001|df=dmy-all}}</ref>  In 2004, 87 children died when the thatched roof of a classroom was ignited by sparks from a cooking fire.<ref>{{Cite news|title = 87 children die in school fire|date = 17 July 2004|url = http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/17/stories/2004071707570100.htm|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040718032139/http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/17/stories/2004071707570100.htm|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 July 2004|work = [[The Hindu]]|access-date = 28 July 2013}}</ref> In 2011, a child died after succumbing to burn injuries she sustained after accidentally falling into a cooking vessel.<ref>{{Cite news|title = 'Gravy' mistake: 8-yr-old girl falls in hot sambar, dies|date = 17 December 2011|url = http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report-gravy-mistake-8-yr-old-girl-falls-in-hot-sambar-dies-1626938|access-date = 28 July 2013|newspaper = DNA India}}</ref>

==== Centralised model ====
In the centralised model, an external organisation cooks and delivers the meal to schools, mostly through [[public-private partnership]]s. Centralised kitchens are seen more in urban areas, where density of schools is high so that transporting food is a financially viable option. Advantages of centralised kitchens include ensuring better hygienic as large scale cooking is done through largely automated processes. Various [[NGO]]s such as the Nalabothu Foundation, Akshaya Patra Foundation, Ekta Shakti Foundation, Naandi Foundation, and Jay Gee Humanitarian Society provide midday meals.<ref name=":6" />

A study of centralised kitchens in Delhi in 2007 found that even with centralised kitchens, the quality of food needed to be improved.<ref>{{cite web|title=Towards more advantages from Mid-Day Meals|url=http://www.cordindia.com/images/Midday.pdf|website=Cordindia.com|access-date=17 July 2019|archive-date=17 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717235929/http://www.cordindia.com/images/Midday.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The study also found that when the food arrives and is of inadequate quality, even teachers feel helpless and do not know whom to complain to.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development reported that 95% of tested meal samples prepared by NGOs in Delhi did not meet nutritional standards in 2010–12. In response, the ministry withheld 50% of the payment for the deficient meals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/exclusive/capitals-mcd-schools-mid-day-meal-scheme-fails-nutrition-test_6357.html |title=Capital's MCD schools mid-day meal scheme fails nutrition test! |website=Zeenews.india.com |date=23 May 2013 |access-date=28 July 2013}}</ref>

==== International assistance ====
International voluntary and charity organisations have assisted. [[Church World Service]] has provided milk powder to Delhi and Madras Municipal Corporation; [[CARE (relief agency)|CARE]] has provided corn soya meal, Bulgar wheat, and vegetable oils; and [[UNICEF]] has provided high proteins foods and educational support.<ref name="teindia1">{{cite web |url=http://www.teindia.nic.in/mhrd/50yrsedu/r/2V/7B/2V7B0301.htm |title=Historical Background |work=Nutrition Support to Education: Report of the Committee on Mid-Day Meals |date=May 1995 |publisher=Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of India |access-date=28 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517134017/http://www.teindia.nic.in/mhrd/50yrsedu/r/2V/7B/2V7B0301.htm |archive-date=17 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1982, 'Food for Learning' was launched with assistance from the [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO). Initially the programme was aimed at scheduled caste and scheduled tribe girls.<ref name="teindia1" /> In 1983, the federal Department of Education prepared a scheme under the auspices of the [[World Food Programme]] to supply meals to 13.6 million scheduled caste girls and 10.09 million scheduled tribe girls in classes one to five in 15 states and three union territories. The value of the food itself was $163.27 million per year.<ref name="teindia1" /> Labour, facilities, and transportation costs were to be paid by the state governments. The reaction among the states and union territories was mixed. Many states were interested, but some were concerned about their ability to afford it if the FAO support were to be withdrawn.<ref name=":1" />

===Tithi Bhojan===
Tithi Bhojan is a concept designed to ensure greater public participation under the Midday Meal Programme, that started out in the state of [[Gujarat]]. In order to generate greater community participation, local members were encouraged to celebrate social events like birth of a child and homewarming by donating to the midday meals served in the local schools. It is voluntarily served by the community/family among school children in several forms such as sweets and savoury snacks, along with regular MDM, full meals, supplementary nutritive items like sprouted beans, and contributions in kind such as cookware, utensils, dinner sets or glasses for drinking water. The concept has been adopted by 10 other states, some with local nomenclatures like "Sampriti Bhojan" in [[Assam]], "Dham" in [[Himachal Pradesh]], "Sneh Bhojan" in [[Maharashtra]], "Shalegagi Naavu Neevu" in [[Karnataka]], "Anna Dhanam" in [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]], "Priti Bhoj" in [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]] and "Utsav Bhoj" in [[Rajasthan]]. In the North Indian states of [[Uttarakhand]], [[Haryana]] and the [[Union territory]] of [[Chandigarh]], the scheme retains its original name of Tithi Bhojan.<ref>{{Cite web|last=P|first=Kumaran|date=13 November 2021|title=Tithi Bhojan, but in another name|url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/tithi-bhojan-but-in-another-name/articleshow/66595746.cms|access-date=2021-09-18|website=Bangalore Mirror}}</ref>

== Monitoring and implementation ==

=== Monitoring mechanism ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Committees to monitor the MDM Programme<ref name=":8" />
|-
! Level   !! Committee !! Frequency of meeting
|-
| National  || The national level steering / monitoring committee<br> Programme Approval Board (PAB)  || Quarterly
|-
| State  || The state level steering / monitoring committee || Quarterly
|-
| District  || The district level committee || Monthly
|-
| Municipal  || The municipal committee || Monthly
|-
| Block  || The Mandal level committee || Fortnightly
|-
| Village  || Panchayat level sub-committee || Day-to-day functioning of the implementation of the scheme
|-
| School  || School management and development committee <br> or Parent Teacher Association. || Monthly and as when it is
required
|}
The government of India Review Missions on Mid Day Meal Scheme, comprising members from the central government, state governments, UNICEF, and the office of the supreme court commissioner was created in 2010 to review the programme and offer suggestions for improvement.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 2010|title=Mid Day Meal Scheme, First Review Mission, Uttar Pradesh|url=http://mdm.nic.in/Files/Review/Reports/2010/1st%20RM%20Report-UP.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316105830/http://mdm.nic.in/Files/Review/Reports/2010/1st%20RM%20Report-UP.pdf|archive-date=16 March 2016|access-date=2 August 2013|website=mdm.nic.in (Mid Day Meal Scheme, Ministry of Education, Government of India)}}</ref> The scheme is independently monitored twice a year.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Monitoring of Mid-Day-Meal Scheme | publisher = Press Information Bureau, Government of India
| date = 4 March 2011 | url = http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=70547 | access-date = 2 August 2013}}</ref>

== Evaluation of the scheme ==
The MDM Scheme has many potential benefits: attracting children from disadvantaged sections (especially girls, [[Dalit]]s and [[Adivasi]]s) to school, improving regularity, nutritional benefits, socialisation benefits and benefits to women are some that have been highlighted.<ref>{{Cite web|author1=Aparajita Goyal |author2=Jean Dreze |date=1 November 2003|title=Future of Mid-Day Meals|url=http://www.epw.in/special-articles/future-mid-day-meals.html|url-access=limited|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215031845/http://www.epw.in/special-articles/future-mid-day-meals.html|archive-date=15 December 2014|access-date=20 November 2014|website=Economic and Political Weekly}}</ref>
[[File:Mid day meal.jpg|thumb|School students taking Mid day meal in a school of Haryana province of India]]

Studies by economists show that some of these benefits have indeed been realised. The positive effect on enrollment of disadvantaged children ([[Jean Drèze|Dreze]] and Kingdon), on attendance (by Chakraborty, Jayaraman, Pande),<ref>{{Cite web|last=Talukdar|first=Ratna Bharali|date=7 May 2007|title=Attendance up, but penetration poor|url=http://indiatogether.org/mmassam-education|website=Indiatogether.org}}</ref> on learning effort (by Booruah, Afridi and Somanathan), on improving nutritional inputs (Afridi), and on improving nutritional outcomes (by Singh, Dercon and Parker). However, policy inputs by [[Edmond Fernandes|Dr Edmond Fernandes]] suggested that it would be wise to address the problem through a cross sectoral perspective as cascading risks globally is affecting food security & healthy nutrition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ghosh |first=Shaumik |date=2024-02-24 |title=The Mystery of Food Politics and It's Proposed Extrication |url=https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2024/02/24/the-mystery-of-food-politics-and-its-proposed-extrication/ |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Modern Diplomacy |language=en-US}}</ref>

Caste based discrimination continues to occur in the serving of food, though the government seems unwilling to acknowledge this.<ref>{{Cite press release|title = Caste and Gender Based Discrimination Under MDMS|url = http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=90730|date = 14 December 2012|access-date = 2 August 2013|quote = The teams did not come across any discrimination except in one school in district Boudh in Odisha.|publisher = Press Information Bureau, Government of India}}</ref>

Sukhdeo Thorat and Joel Lee found in their 2005 study that caste discrimination was occurring in conjunction with the Mid Day Meals programme.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Caste Discrimination and Food Security Programmes|date = 24 September 2005|first1 = Joel|last1= Lee|first2= Sukhdeo|last2= Thorat|journal = Economic and Political Weekly|jstor=4417187|volume = 40 |issue= 39|pages = 4198–4201}}</ref>

Media reports also document the positive effect of the programme for women, especially working women<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nichols|first=Carly E|date=27 August 2013|title=Look beyond the food|url=http://indiatogether.org/mdmukhand-poverty|website=Indiatogether.org}}</ref> and its popularity among parents, children and teachers alike. Media reports have also highlighted several implementation issues, including irregularity, corruption, hygiene, caste discrimination, etc. A few such incidents are listed below:

* In December 2005, Delhi police seized eight trucks laden with 2,760 sacks of rice meant for primary school children. The rice was being transported from Food Corporation of India godowns [[Bulandshahr district]] to North Delhi. The police stopped the trucks and investigators later discovered that the rice was being stolen by an NGO.<ref>{{cite news| title=Lid off massive scam in Mid-Day Meal Scheme: 2,760 sacks of rice seized| url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060121/delhi.htm| publisher=The Tribune, Delhi| date=20 January 2006| access-date=2 December 2006}}</ref>
* In November 2006, the residents of Pembong village (30&nbsp;km from [[Darjeeling]]) accused a group of teachers of embezzling midday meals. In a written complaint, the residents claimed that students at the primary school had not received their midday meal for the past year and a half.<ref>{{cite news|title=Scam shadow on meal scheme | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061115/asp/siliguri/story_7001871.asp | archive-url = https://archive.today/20140625030514/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061115/asp/siliguri/story_7001871.asp | url-status = dead | archive-date = 25 June 2014 | publisher=The Telegraph, Kolkata| date=14 November 2006|access-date=2 December 2006}}</ref> 
* In December 2006, ''[[The Times of India]]'' reported that school staff were inflating attendance in order to obtain food grains.<ref>{{cite news| title=Teacher blows whistle on scam: School Authorities Pocket Money In The Name Of Mid-Day Meal Scheme| publisher=The Times of India, Bangalore | date=2 December 2006}}</ref>
* [[Bihar school meal poisoning incident|Twenty-three children died]] in Dharma Sati village in Saran District on 16 July 2013 after eating pesticide-contaminated mid day meals.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/chargesheet-filed-in-bihar-midday-meal-tragedy/article5260941.ece|title=Chargesheet filed in Bihar midday meal tragedy|work=The Hindu|date=22 October 2013|access-date=26 June 2014}}</ref> On 31 July 2013, 55 students at a government middle school fell ill at Kalyuga village in Jamui district after their midday meal provided by an NGO. On the same day, 95 students at Chamandi primary school in Arwal district were ill after their meal.<ref>
{{cite news |title=Students fall ill after midday meal in Bihar | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/students-fall-ill-after-midday-meal-in-bihar/article4974313.ece |work=The Hindu| date=31 July 2013 | access-date=31 July 2013}}</ref>
* Over the past 20 years, the amount allocated per student under the Midday Meal Scheme (Prime Minister's Poshan Shakti Nirman) has increased by Rs. 3.45. In the year 2004–05, Rs. 2 per child was provided for classes one to five, which has now increased to Rs. 5.45, and Rs. 8.17 for classes six to eight, including the cost of cooking ingredients like rice, lentils, vegetables, spices, oil, and salt, as well as the cost of cooking gas. The Midday Meal Scheme is jointly operated by the central and state governments, with 60% of the funds provided by the central government and 40% by the state government.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 October 2023 |title=How to feed rice, dal, papad and salad in mid-day meal for Rs 5.45 in schools? |url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/jharkhand/ranchi/for-rs-545-mid-day-meal-in-jharkhand-government-schools-how-to-feed-students-rice-dal-papad-and-salad-jbj |work=Prabhat Khabar}}</ref>

== Criticism ==
Despite the success of the programme, child hunger as a problem persists in India. According to current statistics, 42.5% of the children under 5 are underweight. Some simple health measures such as using iodised salt{{Update inline|date=September 2021}} and getting vaccinations are uncommon in India.<ref>Sengupta, Somini. (12 March 2009) [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/world/asia/13malnutrition.html Malnutrition of children in India continues]. Nytimes.com. Retrieved on 18 February 2012.</ref> "India is home to the world's largest food insecure population, with more than 500 million people who are hungry", India State Hunger Index (ISHI) said. Many children don't get enough to eat, which has far-reaching implications for the performance of the country as a whole. "Its rates of child malnutrition is higher than most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa," it noted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/Rni3kmxsj03rJ4rjTTqeaI/Madhya-Pradesh-tops-India-State-Hunger-list-of-17.html | title=Madhya Pradesh tops India State Hunger list of 17|publisher=LiveMint|date=14 October 2008|access-date=25 June 2014}}</ref> The 2009 [[Global Hunger Index]] ranked India at 65 out of 84 countries. More than 200 million went hungry in India that year, more than any other country in the world. The report states that "improving child nutrition is of utmost urgency in most Indian states".<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7669152.stm Hunger in India alarming]. BBC News (14 October 2008). Retrieved on 18 February 2012.</ref>

As the MDM Scheme operates only in government/government-aided schools, it does not serve the large share of children in India who attend private schools. From 2015 to 2018, the number of children receiving food through the MDM scheme declined in many states, a pattern that may at least partly reflect the rising popularity of private schools in the country.<ref name=":4" />

== See also ==
* [[Free school meal]]s
* [[National Food Security Act, 2013]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Midday Meal Scheme}}

{{School education in India}}
{{Government Schemes in India}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Midday Meal Scheme}}
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