Lok Sabha Question No. 1255 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-06
Subject: Monitoring of Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Shashi Tharoor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1255 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2021

Monitoring of Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)

## 1255.  DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the recommendation made by the Standing Committee on Education, to include breakfast under the PM Poshan scheme and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that the budgetary allocation is insufficient for including  breakfast  as  part  of  the  PM  POSHAN  scheme  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  devised  any  mechanism  for  monitoring  nutrition levels  amongst children given that the erstwhile Mid-Day Meal scheme has been replaced with a  direct  cash  transfer  plan  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor;
- (f) whether the Government has maintained a record of the number of Out of School Children and if so, details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

- (a) &  (b):  As  per  the  provisions  of  National  Food  Security  Act  (NFSA),  2013, children  studying  in  classes  I-VIII  or  within  the  age  group  of  6-14  years  are entitled to one mid day meal free of charge, every day except on school holidays, in all schools run by local bodies, Government and Government aided schools so as to meet nutritional standards specified in the Act. Accordingly, one hot cooked meal  is  provided  to  eligible  children  on  all  working  school  days  under  PM POSHAN Scheme (earlier known as National Programme for Mid-Day Meal in Schools).  The following  nutritional content is prescribed in the Scheme:

| Components   | Primary   | Upper Primary   |
|--------------|-----------|-----------------|
| Calories     | 450 Cal   | 700 Cal         |
| Protein      | 12 gms.   | 20 gms.         |

There is no provision of breakfast in the Scheme. However, some States and UTs provide additional items  such as milk, egg, fruits etc. to  students  from  their  own resources.

- (c) to (e): during the current pandemic, since schools were closed, all enrolled children are given Food Security Allowance comprising of food grains and cooking cost in the form of dry ration or cooking cost in cash as Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)  under NFSA, 2013 by States and UTs during 2020-21 and 2021-22.  Now, progressively States are reopening schools and provision of hot cooked meal is being resumed.

Government  approved  several  initiatives  in  order  to  improve  the  efficiency  and effectiveness of the scheme. This also includes mechanism for monitoring nutrition levels  amongst  children  like  3rd  party  independent  monitoring  by  using  Food  & Nutrition Departments of Central Universities, Agriculture Universities and eminent institutes like National Institute of Nutrition etc.

- (f):  Government  has  developed  an  online  module  for  compiling  the  data  of  Out  of School Children (OoSC) identified by each State/UT and their mapping with Special Training Centres (STC). The concerned State/UT validates the child wise information  of  the  identified  OoSC  and  STC  uploaded  by  the  concerned  Block Resource Centre of the State for monitoring the progress of mainstreaming of OoSC.

As per the 75th round household survey by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in 2017-18, the number of out of school children in the age group of 6 to 17 years is 3.22 crore.

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