Question : MID-DAY MEAL SCHEME

(a) whether the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is the world’s largest school feeding programme;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the number of schools covered and the number of children being served such meals;

(c) whether the Government proposes to extend MDMS to the unaided private schools located in the tribal areas of the country;

(d) if so, the details thereof ;

(e) whether the Government proposes to undertake further reforms in the programme so as to boost the intake of students especially those belonging to the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes community; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) to (f): A Statement is laid on the Table of the Sabha.

Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (f) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 305 for 24.08.2011 by Shri Baijayant Jay Panda and Shri Nityananda Pradhan regarding Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

(a) & (b): The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) currently benefits 10.46 crore children in 11.92 lakh Government and Government aided schools, National Child Labour Project Schools and Madrasas and Maqtabs, supported under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

(c) & (d): A Committee was set up in 2009 to examine the issue of extending MDMS to privately managed unaided schools in tribal and minority areas. The Committee’s report has been received.

(e) & (f) The Government revised the MDMS in 2009-10 to incorporate the following;

i. Upward revision of food norm for upper primary children

ii. Enhancement of cooking cost for supply of pulses, vegetables, oils, salt & condiments and fuel

iii. Separate provision of honorarium of Rs. 1000/- per month to each cook-cum-helper

iv. Cost of construction of kitchen-cum-store on the basis of plinth area norm and State Schedule of Rates in place of a flat unit cost

v. Transportation assistance in the 11 Special Category States viz. 8 North Eastern States, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh at par with the Public Distribution System rates in these States

vi. Decentralization of payment of cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India to the district level

The MDMS guidelines provide that preference should be given to persons from disadvantaged groups viz. Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minority categories in engagement of cook-cum-helpers.

The RTE Act mandates the constitution of School Management Committees (SMC) with members from disadvantaged group and weaker section. As per the Model Rules under RTE Act, SMC members are expected to monitor the implementation of the Mid Day Meal in the School.

The independent monitoring institutions have been specifically instructed to capture in their reports any discrimination on the basis of caste and gender.