Vol. 16, Issue 1, Jul-Dec 2023

Page: 134-142

MIDDAY MEAL PROGRAM: SUCCESSES AND OBSTACLES

Madhulika Parmar

Received Date:

Accepted Date:

Published Date:

An Indian school lunch program called the Mid-Day Meal Scheme was established to raise the nutritional status of school-age children nationwide. The POSHAN Scheme is the new name for the program. On working days, the initiative provides free lunches to children in government primary and upper primary schools, government-aided Anganwadis, Madarsa, and Maqtabs. The midday meal program has become nearly ubiquitous, feeding primary school students nationwide after overcoming many of the initial issues that plagued it since its inception in 1995. This evaluation of the MDMS looks at its accomplishments to date and tracks its evolution. The evaluation discusses the issues the system is still facing and offers potential solutions. The midday meal program has been demonstrated to improve students' overall academic performance, cognitive capacities, and levels of focus. When meals are served during school hours, children are better able to focus on their academics, which improves learning. There are problems with implementation, such as irregularities, corruption, poor hygiene, and insufficient nutritional value, among others. Even with the program's effectiveness, child hunger is still an issue in India. In some schools, food was prepared by using wood which gave bad smell to food and also polluted the environment. This study uses secondary data from multiple Indian states to investigate how the midday meal program affects body mass index. The Mid-day Meal Program was introduced in India to increase school-age children's enrolment, attendance, retention, and academic performance. Cooked midday meals are the norm for a sizable percentage of kids from lower socioeconomic groups.

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