The human resource development (HRD) ministry has asked states to get all midday meal cooks-cum-helpers trained by “master trainers” by the end of this year.
In a letter sent to heads of state education departments, the ministry has suggested they can get the cook-cum-helpers in their jurisdiction trained by master chefs of the Institutes of Hotel Management (IHMs) and Food Craft Institutes (FCIs).
A senior ministry official said the two institutes have already trained 926 midday meal cooks and turned them into master trainers under a scheme of the Union tourism ministry in 2012. The ministry described the self-help groups and cook-cum-helpers as pillars of the programme.
“Since they come from deprived sections, a majority have limited knowledge about nutrition, cooking, health and hygiene, cleaning of raw grains and vegetables, recipes, serving skills, time management, maintenance of stock and cash registers. It is essential that capacity of workforce at field level is built on an ongoing basis,” says the letter.