The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDM) is a government initiative in India aimed at improving the nutritional status of school-age children by providing free lunches in government and aided schools. Launched in 1995, the MDM serves over 120 million children across more than 1.2 million schools, with objectives including boosting enrollment and retention, while adhering to specific nutritional guidelines. Despite its benefits, the scheme faces challenges such as food quality issues, delays in payments, and corruption.

2. CONTENTS
# introduction
# history of mid day meal scheme
# objectives of MDM scheme
# about MDM scheme
# MDM rules 2015
# nutritional norms of MDM scheme
# MDM scheme menu
# financing of MDM scheme
# private sector participation in MDMS
# benefits of MDM scheme
# problems with MDM scheme in india
# conclusion
# references

3. The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is a school meal programme of
government of india designed to better the nutritional standing of
school age children nationwide.
The programme supplies free lunches on working days for children
in primary and upper class in government schools.
Mid day meal scheme serves 120,000,000 children in over
1,265,000 schools and education guarantee scheme centres .
The mid day meal scheme is world’s largest school meal
programme.

4. Mid day meal in school has long history in india .
In 1925, a mid day meal programme was introduced for
disadvantaged children in in madras municipal corporation .
.
By the mid 1980 , three states , GUJRAT , KERALA, TAMIL NADU &
union territory of PONDICHERRY has universalizes cooked mid day
meal programme.
With the view to enchancing enrollment,retention,attendance and
simultaneously improving nutritional level among children , the
national programme of nutritional support to primary education ( NP-
NSPE), was launched as centrally sponsored scheme on 15 august
1995 intially in 2408 blocks in the country.

5. By the year 1997 -98 , the NP-NSPE was introduced in all blocks of
the country .
In 2002 , it was further extended to cover not only children in class I
– V of government or aided schools but also children studying in
EGS & AIE centres .

6. 1. Boost students enrolment.
2. Promote students attendance.
3. To provide hot cooked meal with high nutritional value .
4. Attracting children who are reluctant to go to school .
5. Promote overall growth of children.

7. Mid day meal scheme guarantees one meal to all children in in
government , aided schools and madarsas supported under
“SAMAGRA SHIKSHA” .
Students upto class 8th are guaranteed one nutritional cooked meal
at least 200 days in a year .
The scheme comes under ministry of HRD.
It was launched in year 1995 as national program of nutritional
support to primary education ( NP NSPE) .
IN 2004 , the scheme was relaunched as the mid day meal scheme
( MDMS).

8. The place of serving meal to the children shall be school only.
If the mid day meal is not provided in the school on any school day
due to non availability of food grains or any other reasons , the state
government shall pay food security allowance by 15th of the suceeding
month.
The mid day meal shall be prepared in accordance with the mid day
meal guidelines issued by central government from time to time .
Procuring “AGMARK” quality items for the preparation of mid day
meals.
Tasting of meals by two or three adult members of the school
management committee , including atleast one teacher , before
serving to children.

9. The school management committee (SMC) mandated under the right
to free and compulsory education act ,2009 shall also monitor
implementation of the mid day meal scheme .
The state steering – cum monitoring committee ( SSMC ) shall
oversee the implementation of the scheme including establishment
of mechanism for the maintenance of nutritional standards and quality
of meals .

10. In terms of calorie intake , as per MDM guidelines ,the children in primary
school must be provided with atleast 450 calories with 12 grams of protein
through mid day meal.
While the children in upper primary schools should get 700 calories , with 20
grams of protein as per MDM guidelines .

13. The cost of mid day meal scheme is shared between the centre
and state government .
The central government provides free food grains to the states.
The cost of cooking ,infrastructure development, transportation of
food grains and payment of honorarium to cooks and helpers is
shared by centre with the state government .

14. “AKSHAYA PATRA “ work under leadership of ISKON is now serving
mid day meal to almost to a million children everyday .
Software companies and NGO’s like INFOSYS , BHARTI, JINDAL
,NAADI foundation etc are major contributors to mid day meal
scheme.

15. 1. Promoting school participation
2. Preventing classroom hunger
3. Facilitating the healthy growth of children
4. Ensuring psychological benefits
5. Enhancing gender equity
6. Address malnutrition .

16. 1. Poor food quality
2. Delayed payment
3. Snakes & worms in the food .
4. Cooks are not getting salary.
5. The food is not being delivered or being wasted .
6. There is even embezzlement of the money by way of fake enrolments.
7. It is also difficult challenge to deliver food to rural areas
8. Corruption is to large extent in this scheme .

17. In conclusion it can be said that school meal programme is very
vital in a school system ,and if guided religiously can be beneficial
not only to the students but also to the families ,communities and
the nation in general.
Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam said regarding mid day meal scheme – “this is
a very important and great mission …..”
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee message regarding mid
day meal program – “ the scale of the program is truly impressive .”

18. Uma,H.R.& Manohar,K.(2012).mid day meal program : a study of
primary school in mysore district.LAP Lambert publishing.
Pathania,A & Pathania,K.(2006) . Primary education and mid day
meal scheme . New Delhi . Deep & Deep Publications.
Sikligar,P.C.(2011) .Mid day meal scheme and school education.
Concept Publishing.