Government-initiated education schemes in India are divided into four categories. Primary education, Secondary Education, Higher Education, and Adult Education. This blog discusses the Mid-day meal Scheme under Primary Education schemes.
The right to education is a fundamental right. The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002 inserted Article 21-A in the Constitution of India to provide free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right in such a manner as the State may, by law, determine. The purpose of education schemes is to move forward to achieving quality, sustainable, and universal education as a part of Sustainable Development Goal 4 - Quality Education.
The Mid-day meal scheme in India was launched in 1995, designed to promote the attendance of students and better the nutritional standing of school-age children in the country. Essentially, the mid-day meal scheme promoted parents below the poverty line, unable to sustain one to two meals a day to send their children to school so they could have at least one meal a day. Its main objectives are to increase the enrolment of the children belonging to disadvantaged sections in the schools and retain students in school, at least in Primary Grades.
The scheme has not only impacted students but also generated jobs and increased education rates in the country. For students, the scheme has contributed to reducing levels of malnutrition in children hailing from disadvantaged backgrounds by increasing the nutritional levels of children and altering hematological parameters. It also increases the attendance of children in schools as most children that went back home for lunch did not return for the second half. Now that meals are available in the school itself, attendance rates have risen, indicating more learning is happening in schools. It also helps in retaining children in schools. The scheme also acts as an assurance for families living below the poverty line that children are guaranteed one meal a day. Beyond students and parents, the scheme also generated permanent jobs in the form of cooks and managers who assist schools in implementing and managing the scheme.
The scheme has a few drawbacks, including corruption in the delivery system due to which children are getting low quality and insufficient food and the lack of proper monitoring and supervision as the biggest problems of this scheme. However, it is important to note that in a country as large as India, quality assurance of schemes is difficult but not impossible.
All in all, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme is one of the country's national flagship feeding schemes initiated to improve the nutritional and educational status of vulnerable children. Its impact on the education and literacy rates has been significant, and the scheme continues to contribute to supporting children and families.
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