Mid Day Meal Scheme: World’s Largest School Feeding Programme

National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools (MDMS) is a flagship programme of the Government of India aiming at enhancing enrolment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children studying in Government, Local Body and Government-aided primary and upper primary schools and the Centres run under Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative & Innovative Education (AIE) and National Children Labour Project (NCLP) schools of all areas across the country. MDM is also served in drought-affected areas during summer vacation.

The scheme has emerged as the world’s largest school programme for children of primary and upper primary stage.

Calorific Value

The calorific value of a mid-day meal at upper primary stage has been fixed at a minimum of 700 calories and 20 grams of protein by providing 150 grams of food grains (rice/wheat) per child/school day.

Budget

The Union Budget 2012-13 has provided an outlay of Rs 11,937.00 crore for this scheme, which is inclusive of Rs 1193.70 crore for North Eastern Region (NER) and Sikkim.

Objectives

• Enhancing enrolment
• Ensuring retention and attendance of students
• Improving Nutritional levels among children
• 8.41 crore primary children and 3.36 cr upper primary children — a total of 11.77 crore children were estimated to be benefited from MDM Scheme during 2009-10.
• 11.04 crore children were covered under MDM Scheme during 2009-10.
• During 2010-11, 11.36 crore children — 7.97 Cr. children in primary and 3.39 crore children in upper primary—are expected to be covered in 12.63 lakhs institutions.
• Today, Mid Day Meal scheme is serving primary and upper primary school children in entire country.

Achievements

• 8.41 crore primary children and 3.36 cr upper primary children — a total of 11.77 crore children were estimated to be benefited from MDM Scheme during 2009-10.
• 11.04 crore children were covered under MDM Scheme during 2009-10.
• During 2010-11, 11.36 crore children — 7.97 Cr. children in primary and 3.39 crore children in upper primary—are expected to be covered in 12.63 lakhs institutions.
• Today, Mid Day Meal scheme is serving primary and upper primary school children in entire country.

Timeline And Salient Features

• The National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15th August 1995, initially in 2408 blocks in the country
• By the year 1997-98, the NP-NSPE was introduced in all blocks of the country
• It was further extended in 2002 to cover not only children in classes I -V of Government, Government aided and local body schools, but also children studying in EGS and AIE centres
• Central Assistance under the scheme consisted of free supply of food grains @ 100 grams per child per school day, and subsidy for transportation of food grains up to a maximum of Rs 50 per quintal.
• In September 2004 the scheme was revised to provide cooked mid day meal with 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein to all children studying in classes I – V in Government and aided schools and EGS/ AIE centres.
• In October 2007, the scheme has been further revised to cover children in upper primary (classes VI to VIII) initially in 3479 Educationally Backwards Blocks (EBBs).
• From 1st April, 2008, the programme covers all children studying in Government, Local Body and Government-aided primary and upper primary schools and the EGS/AIE centres including Madarsa and Maqtabs supported under SSA of all areas across the country.