A lot cooking, but still hungry

Yes, the mid-day meal scheme is the world's largest school lunch programme. But hunger continues to stalk the government classroom

Every morning, a large number of children in India go to school on an empty stomach. Quite understandably, they find it hard to concentrate and this invariably affects their performance. India is home to a third of the world's malnourished children. Studies have shown that these children are less likely to perform well in school and more likely to grow into malnourished adults, with greater risk of disease and early death.

The mid-day meal scheme (MDMS) may not be implemented in every government school in the country, but even without 100% coverage, this scheme, under which the government provides free lunch to school children from classes I to VIII covering about 13 crore children, is the world's largest school lunch programme.

In a recent survey in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, it was found that overall enrolment had increased by 64% and the enrollment of girls by 58% with the introduction of a mid-day meal in schools. And 77% of the teachers and parents also confirmed an improvement in the health and nutrition of children. Study after study has endorsed the success of the scheme in tackling the phenomenon of classroom hunger.

Lunch at school was first introduced in Tamil Nadu in 1925 by the Corporation of Madras and three decades later became a state-wide scheme in 1956 under then chief minister K Kamaraj who introduced it in Adi Dravida community schools as the ‘poor feeding' programme.

But it was only in 1982, under the late chief minister M G Ramachandran, that the scheme took off in a big way in the form of the Nutritious Meal Programme in all government-run schools for children in the primary section. Though initially dismissed as a "populist" measure, the success of the programme in the states of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Kerala persuaded the central government in 1995 to expand its kitchen. Thus, the scheme was launched as the National Programme for Nutrition Support to Primary Education.

Initially, the centre only provided foodgrain free of cost, with the states being expected to take care of ingredients, infrastructure, salaries of the cooks and so on. But with the states pleading a funds crunch, the scheme never really took off. The centre's foodgrain was passed on to the students as "dry rations". In large states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the situation was particularly bleak.

It took a landmark order of the Supreme Court dated November 28, 2001, to get the scheme off the ground. The order made it mandatory for all state governments to a provide cooked mid-day meal in primary schools within six months of the order.

Today, the state is committed to its soup kitchen. Since its launch, the government has revised upwards the mandatory calorie and protein content of the meals served. At present, the norm for student intake per day is 450 calories and 12 gm of protein. It has also extended the meal to the upper primary sections of all government and government-aided schools.

The centre has also started contributing more money to the scheme, thus reducing the burden on states. From just over Rs 1,000 crore at the start of the millennium, the budget for the scheme has vaulted to Rs 8,000 crore.

The government envisages expanding the mid-day meal scheme to include micronutrient supplementation, covering essential micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron and iodine, as is being done in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat.

It also plans to add a "school health" programme as a component, under which the children go for regular health check ups and get free treatment for conditions such as anaemia, scabies and worms.

Despite all the good reports on MDMS, there has been criticism too, mostly about the unhygienic conditions in which meals are cooked and corruption leading to funds and foodgrain being diverted and the children not getting a good meal.

MDMS has been shown to reduce the gender gap in education, as it boosts female school attendance more than male attendance.

The scheme also contributes to gender equality by creating employment opportunities for poor women who are employed as cooks and helpers. Nearly 70% of those thus employed are women.

With such a range of tangible and intangible benefits resulting from a single scheme, it is difficult to imagine a better use of public funds, especially in a country plagued with malnutrition levels among children that are higher than even sub-Saharan Africa.

Low on hygiene, high on corruption

Non-implementation - In 2004, only a little over half the children enrolled for the year 2004-05 were covered under the cooked mid-day meal scheme. Even today, many states like UP, Bihar and Assam are yet to implement the scheme in all their schools.

Corruption - Food and funds allocated by the centre are easily diverted because of inadequate monitoring.

Food quality - The food served does not meet the requirement calorie and protein requirement mandated by the centre. Children have complained of indigestion. Often the meal is cooked in unhygienic conditions

Too few cooks - Teachers are forced to help in organising and cooking the mid-day meal since many schools have not appointed a cook or helper to do the job. For this, they have to leave the class early, leaving the lesson incomplete. This disrupts education

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