Lok Sabha Question No. 313 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-24
Subject: Quality of Mid Day Meal Scheme
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Ashok Mahadeorao Nete

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 313 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.06.2019

## Quality of Mid Day Meal Scheme

## †313.  SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  children  in  several  parts  of  the  country  had  fallen  sick  after  eating  food provided under Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) during the last few years;
- (b) the action taken against the school authorities for serving bad quality food to children;
- (c) whether any standards have been prescribed for the quality of food under MDMS;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the reasons for non-compliance of the prescribed criteria?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

- (a) & (b):    A  total  number  of  930  children  were  fallen  sick  after  eating  food  provided under mid-day meal scheme in the country during the last three years and current year. The overall  responsibility  for  providing  cooked  and  nutritious  Mid  Day  Meal  to  the eligible  children  lies  with  State  Governments  and  UTs  Administrations.  Respective State  Governments  and  UT  Administrations  were  requested  to  furnish  Action  Taken Report (ATR) in the matter. As per Action Taken Reports (ATRs) received from States and UTs, action such as issuing warning against the official responsible, terminating the  contract  of  concerned  NGOs  /  Organisations,  initiating  criminal  proceedings  and imposing penalties against the defaulting persons/organisations have been taken by the concerned State Governments and UT Administrations.
- (c) to  (e):  The  Mid-Day  Meal  Guidelines  prescribe  the  following  nutritional  content  for improving the quality of mid-day meal :

| Items                                    | For children of Primary classes          | For children of Upper Primary classes    |
|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day) | A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day) | A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day) |
| Calorie                                  | 450                                      | 700                                      |
| Protein                                  | 12 gms                                   | 20 gms                                   |
| B) Food Norms (Per child per day)        | B) Food Norms (Per child per day)        | B) Food Norms (Per child per day)        |
| Food-grains                              | 100 gms                                  | 150 gms                                  |
| Pulses                                   | 20 gms                                   | 30 gms                                   |
| Vegetables                               | 50 gms                                   | 75 gms                                   |
| Oil &fat                                 | 5 gms                                    | 7.5 gms                                  |
| Salt& condiments                         | As per need                              | As per need                              |

The Government of India has issued guidelines on quality, safety and hygiene in school level kitchens  to  all  the  States  and  UTs  to  address  the  quality  issue.  These  guidelines  inter-alia provide  for  instructions  to  schools  to  procure  Agmark  quality  and  branded  items  for preparation of mid day meals, tasting of meals by 2-3 adult members of School Management Committee  including  at  least  one  teacher  before  serving  to  children  and  to  put  in  place  a system of testing of food samples by accredited laboratories. Further, the MDM Rules, 2015 provide  for  mandatory  testing  of  food  samples  by  Government  recognized  laboratories  to ensure  that  the  meals  meet  nutritional  standards  and  quality.  The  Government  has  also adopted  an  elaborate  monitoring  mechanism  at  Central,  State  and  District  levels  to  ensure quality food is served to children under the Scheme.

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