Frontline – July 05, 2019

THE Mid-Day Meal Scheme
(MDMS)is aflagshipschemeof the
Ministryof Human Resource Devel-
opment of the Government of India.
Thescheme,implementedin part-
nership withState governments, en-
visages provision of mid-daymeals
for six daysto pupilsof government
andgovernment-aidedschools.The
aimsof thescheme areto increase
studentenrolment,ensure dailyat-
tendance andreducedropout rates.
Regular provisionof a healthymeal
is intended to increase nutrition
levelsof the children andtherebyen-
hancetheirlearningcapability.
Thescheme beganto be imple-
mented nationwide following the
Supreme Court’sdirectivein Novem-
ber 2001to all Stategovernments to
introducecooked mid-daymealsin
primaryschools.Karnataka intro-
ducedthe scheme in stages,between
2002 and2008,to coverall school-
goingchildren.
According to thelatestavailable
data,theMDMS,called“Akshara
Dasoha” in Karnataka, provides
noonmealsto 53.47lakhpupilsin
54,576schools.
WhiletheCentre andtheState
sharethe cost,in the ratioof 60:40,
for pupilsfromClasses1 to 8, the
Stategovernmentbearstheentire
costof extendingtheschemeto pu-
pils of Classes 9 and 10. The

Karnataka government has alsobeen

providing a dailyquotaof milksince

2013,which is partof a separate

schemebut is administered by the

MDMSauthoritiesin the State.

TheMDMS providesan honor-

ariumfor its staffmembers,mainly

Dalitwomen,whocookthefoodin

theschool premises.In Karnataka,

thehonorariumhasbeen increased

overthe years.Thehead cookandher

assistant (in biggerschools)are paid

Rs.2,700andRs.2,600 respectively

everymonth.For 2019 -20,the State

governmenthasallocatedRs.1,958

croreto theDepartmentof Primary

andSecondaryEducationto cover

expenditurerelatingto theMDMS

undervariousheads.Theallocation

is basedon the numberof daysnoon

mealis provided.It is 240daysfor

the current academicyear.

Imposing a

food culture

ThecontroversyinKarnatakaovertheAkshayaPatraFoundation’s

refusaltoincludeonionsandgarlicinits mid-daymealsingovernment

schoolsraisesconcerns overtheimpositionofupper-castefoodhabits

on pupilsofpoorandlower-castebackgrounds.BYVIKHAR AHMEDSAYEED

V.

SREENIVAS

A MURTHY

JUNE22,2005:BengaluruMayor R.NarayanaSwamy(left)exchangingan

MoUwithC.C.Dasa,Directorof ISKCON’sAkshayaPatra, onthemid-daymeal

schemeforcorporation schoolchildren,at theBruhat BengaluruMahanagara

Palikeoffice.

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