Feeding 12 Crore Children Everyday – behind the Scenes of the Govt’s Mid Day Meal Scheme

[JANASENA]

The Government of India’s Mid Day Meal Scheme is the world’s largest school meal programme, serving over 12 crore children across the country. But how does the scheme actually work? Factly takes a closer look.

In 2015-16, the Government of India’s Mid Day Meal Scheme provided free lunches to over 12 crore children enrolled in over 12.6 lakh schools and Education Guarantee Scheme centres across the country. Started in 1995 as a school meal programme designed to improve the quality of nutrition available to schoolchildren across India, the programme has since undergone several changes and modifications before reaching its current state.

The scheme involves funding from State and Central Governments, procurement of food grains from the Food Corporation of India, and supply of fruits and vegetables from local vendors. Coordinating the entire project is a mammoth effort, to ensure that children all over the country benefit from the scheme daily. While there have been a few issues with the implementation of the scheme, it is by and large one of the most successful projects of its kind, worldwide. However, how does the scheme actually work? How do all the various stakeholders come together to supply food to children everyday? This video takes a quick look at the key players involved in the scheme and its implementation.

To assist in the training of helpers and cooks involved at the school-level, the Government of India has also reached out to the Akshaya Patra Foundation for training purposes. The Foundation trains these workers nationally, and encourages the involvement of local mothers in the process of management on the ground. This, in turn, helps the mothers achieve a sense of ownership about the scheme and gain sustainable income. They also assist in the programme’s successful management and implementation.