Question : Mid-Day Meal during Holidays

(a) whether it is true that the Government is considering to provide mid-day meals even during school holidays and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether it is also true that any such move might have huge financial implications and that many schemes run by the Government are already suffering from severe financial crunch and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) whether the Government has assessed the actual impact and effectiveness of mid-day meal scheme in fighting malnutrition and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)
(a) & (b): No, Madam. However, the Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme guidelines envisage serving of mid day meals in elementary schools during summer vacation in areas which are formally notified by the concerned State Governments as drought affected. During the year 2016-17, an amount of Rs. 480.91 crore has been released to 12 States for serving mid day meals during summer vacation in drought affected areas against total release of Rs. 9478.61 crore under the scheme.
(c): One of the objectives of the MDM scheme is to improve nutritional status of children studying in the elementary classes in schools covered under the scheme, by providing hot cooked meal. The Government has adopted an elaborate monitoring mechanism at Central, State and District levels to ensure that quality food is served to children under the Scheme as well as to monitor other important aspects of the scheme. At national level, an Empowered Committee, headed by Minister of Human Resource Development, a National level Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee (NSMC)
and Programme Approval Board (PAB) monitor the scheme and suggest measures for its smooth and effective implementation. At the State level, a State level Steering–cum-Monitoring Committee headed by the State Chief Secretary and, at District Level, a District Level Committee under the Chairpersonship of the senior-most Member of Parliament of Lok Sabha of the district monitors the implementation of the scheme in the concerned District. At local level Gram Panchayats/Gram Sabhas, members of Village Education Committees (VECs), Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and the School Management Committees (SMCs) monitor the regularity and wholesomeness of the mid-day meal served to children, cleanliness in cooking and serving of the meal, timeliness in procurement of good quality ingredients, fuel, etc., implementation of variety in menu so as to make it attractive to children and ensuring social and gender equity on daily basis. In addition, the Centre constitutes Joint Review Missions (JRMs) consisting of educational and nutritional experts, which review the scheme through field visits from time to time. The reports of JRMs are shared with concerned States/UTs for taking suitable action on the findings.
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