Soon, mid-day meals likely in kindergarten
Currently, the MDM scheme caters to 116 million children from classes 1 to 8 in 1.134 million government schools.
The Union education ministry has started working on a plan to expand its mid-day meals (MDM) scheme to children in kindergarten , and to also offer breakfast, and has written to the states and the union territories for their suggestions on the proposal.
In a letter to the states on October 12, education ministry joint secretary R C Meena mentioned that the ministry was in the process of revision and modification of the existing scheme, adding that it was in keeping with suggestions made by the recently adopted National Education Policy (NEP) — inclusion of pre-primary classes in the MDM scheme and the provision of a simple and energetic breakfast under the scheme.
Currently, the MDM scheme caters to 116 million children from classes 1 to 8 in 1.134 million government schools. The centre contributes 60% of the cost of the scheme and the states put in the rest. The administration is by the state governments. In the budget for 2020-21, the Centre has budgeted ₹11,000crore for the scheme.
It is expected that the inclusion of kindergarten students will add another coupleofmillion beneficiaries. That, and the provision of breakfast, are likely to increase the budget significantly.
Meena said in his letter that the suggestions from the states and UTs will be discussed by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC).
‘“It is recognized world over that 85 % capacity of cognitive and analytical brain develops in the first six years of a child,” said eminent educationist DrInder Mohan Kapahy, adding that the decision to extend MDM to young kids was an important decision for future of the country.
Proposals by government departments, especially new ones that involve substantial financial implications, are reviewed by EFCs before they get the go-ahead.
In the letter to the states, the education ministry also said that it had already taken on record the states’ suggestion that the honorarium paid to cooks-cum-helpers be increased and said that these were among the issues it was factoring in as it modifies and revises the scheme.
Former Union secretary Uday Kumar Varma said the MDM scheme was brought in with two aims – to provide improved nutrition and to bring down the school drop out rate. Providing breakfast takes the aim of the scheme further, he said. “However, since substantial resources are needed, greater community participation is desirable. People with surplus foodgrains, resources etc should be encouraged to contribute to the scheme and committees at various levels can oversee the process,” he added.
Last month, on the advice of the agriculture ministry aimed at helping farmers, the education ministry suggested that states and UTs include honey and mushrooms in the diets provided under the scheme. This would boost bee-keeping and mushroom production in the country, the ministry said then.
Soon, mid-day meals likely in kindergarten
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