DR KRISHNA Mohan Tripathi is Additional Director of Basic Education, Uttar Pradesh strives hard to implement mid-day meal scheme in the state with qualitative improvement. Tripathi joined PCS in 1975 and held various positions in many districts since then. In a tête-à-tête with Pankaj Mishra he dwells on meal scheme.
What are the basic features of the mid-day meal scheme?
The mid-day meal scheme was initiated in 1995. By 2001 only a few states were providing cooked meals. Most of them were giving monthly dry ration of foodgrain to school children. However the number of states providing cooked meals rose sharply since early 2002 after a Supreme Court order dated November 28, 2001 directed all State Governments to provide cooked mid-day meals in primary schools. Today, majority of states and UTs have achieved full coverage of primary schools under the programme .
How successfully the scheme is being run in UP?
Recent reports suggest that mid-day meal scheme has made a promising start. Nearly 1.70 lakh children in 95,000 primary schools are benefited with the scheme. Besides attracting students to schools, the meal scheme helped in checking malnutrition.
There are complaints about quality of meal. How far are they true ?
The mid-day meal has a minimum content of 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein for each child each day with a minimum of 200 school days in a year.
There are complaints about quality of meal. How far are they true ?
The mid-day meal has a minimum content of 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein for each child each day with a minimum of 200 school days in a year.
The quality of the mid-day meal varies widely in the country due to different financial allocations, administrative arrangements, infrastructural facilities etc.
Expenditure on "conversion costs" has a strong bearing on the quality of mid-day meals. This varies from state to state. In UP, we are maintaining the quality of meal by empowering village community. Gram Pradhan, head master and parents of two children taste the meal before it is served.
How do you redress complaints regarding quality ?
Effective arrangements have been made for close monitoring of mid-day meal programmes, and prompt action is taken in the event of lapses such as food poisoning, disruption in food supply, social discrimination etc.
What is conversion cost under the scheme ?
"Conversion costs" refer to recurrent costs other than grain (mainly ingredients and salaries of cooking staff). Grain for the mid-day meal scheme is provided free of cost by the Centre. On average, state governments spend Re. 1.17 per child per day on conversion costs.
What are the basic quality norms?
It is recommended that nutritious cooked meals should be provided throughout the year. The menu should offer variety to sustain the interest of children and to enhance the nutritional value of the meal. All mid-day meal programmes should include a "micronutrient supplementation" component to address common micronutrient deficiencies among children. Every school should have trained staff to provide mid-day meals with no interference in the normal school routine.