1. ROLE OF TEACHERS IN MID DAY MEAL
Dr Sachinder Kaura,
Additional Nodal Officer REPA Kurukshetra
Mid day meal is one of the earliest supplementary nutrition programme in the country which has
nutrition as well as educational objectives. It is a flagship programme of the Govt of India with the
aim to help children to concentrate on classroom activities, providing nutritional support,
encouraging children to attend school regularly. Further, the scheme also meets the need for
nutritional support to children to drought affected areas during summer vacations and children
studying in Govt, Local body, Govt aided schools, Canters run under Education Guarantee scheme,
alternative and innovation schools, madrassa and national child labour project schools across the
country. The scheme was launched on 15 august 1995 in the 44 educationally backward community
development blocks of the state. in 1995-96 cooked meal was provided in 17 blocks of Bhiwani,
Hissar, Mahendergarh, Riwari, Kaithal and Sirsa District. In 2012-13 fifteen thousand seven hundred
ninty one primary and upper primary schools have covered. 20.98 lakh students are getting mid day
meal for 179 days.
In District Kurukshetra, 83752 students of primary and upper primary classes are getting mid day
meal. With the upcoming of this programme in district 381 kitchen shed has come in to existence, 26
kitchen shed are in process of construction and another 26 kitchen has yet to be started out of 436
kitchen shed sanctioned. An amount of Rs 5000/- has been used by each 820 schools for purchase of
kitchen equipments such as containers gas connections, stoves, cooking utensils and cooking devices
costing 41,00,000/-. The scheme generated employment to 686 cooks, who are the members of self
help group and employed through school Management Committee, serve the mid day meal to
students. Govt of India has sanctioned 1697 cooks and helpers for the district, As ISKON is supplying
mid day meal in Pehowa, Ladwa and Thanesar Blocks, so there is less need.
Fourth Joint Review Mission on mid day meal Scheme visited Haryana from 17 th march to 22nd march
2013 under the leadership of Smt Rita Chaterjee, Joint secretary, MHRD. Team visited district
Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Panipat and was happy to notice clean, well maintained store room and
supplies. Team also appreciated that there is no feeling of caste discrimination in the minds of the
parents of the children who belongs to upper castes. However, team suggested the following things
to be improved at school level.
1. Display of Mid Day Meal Logo on the wall of the kitchen.
2. Display of Menu/ recipes on the wall as well as register should be maintained.
3. Visitor Registers/ Inspection register should be maintained so that the entire inspecting
officer can record their observations regarding the quality of mid day meal served after
inspection by the mothers of the children, SMC members and visiting officials/officers.
4. All the teachers have to play a more proactive role in terms of supervising the meals by
ensuring that child come in line, wash their hands, are seated on the mats, served
adequately, wash up and return to class. A Roster should be set up for the teachers to take
the charge of the whole process on each day.
5. Hand washing with soap before eating food should be promoted at all levels.
6. Kitchen garden or green squares should be developed by using the waste water and hand
washing of children as creative and innovative activity for the participation of teachers and

2. students. The best practice of water harvesting system should be promoted in all the
schools.
7. A pilot scheme on installation of solar cookers for cooking mid day meal should be adopted.