Mid-day Meal Scheme: Overcoming Bottlenecks To Deliver Goodness

By Author: The Akshaya Patra Foundation
Total Articles: 112
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It is almost lunch break and children at XXX school try to read the menu written on the white board kept at a distance. “Anna, sambar and mixed palya (rice, sambar and mixed vegetables),” says the writings on the board, listing the dishes to be served to the students as part of Akshaya Patra’s Mid-Day Meal menu.

According to the most recent National Family Health Survey, at least 39% of children are chronically undernourished. The effects are more severe for people who are socially and economically disadvantaged.
To combat this, the Central Government introduced the Mid-Day Meal Scheme that strives to eliminate malnutrition, add nutritional foods to school meals, encourage out-of-school children to attend regular classes, reduce absenteeism and dropout rates, and eliminate inequality among children regardless of their caste, class, or gender backgrounds. The Mid-Day Meal Scheme was renamed as ‘PM POSHAN’ or Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman in September 2021.

Akshaya Patra started serving school meals in 2000 to ensure that no child is deprived of education because of hunger. The NGO serves hot ...
... and nutritious school lunch to over 2 million Government and Government-aided school children every day in 14 states and 2 union territories to help them pursue their dreams and aspirations. Meals are cooked in the organisation’s 65 kitchens spread across the country to maintain safety and hygiene as their topmost priority.

Despite its efficiency, implementation of the MDM Programme across the country faces numerous challenges till today. Due to resource limitations, providing regular service to a sizable population sometimes becomes difficult.

Let’s take a look at the hurdles that on occasions disturb the smooth flow of the MDM process.

• Quantity and Quality of Food

The quality and quantity of food supplied in schools affects the health and overall growth of children. The level of active engagement from patrons, well-wishers, staff and school faculty in the MDM Programme determines the quality of the food that will be offered. The MDM programme's primary stakeholders are children. Through MDM, they can gain a better understanding of the calibre and amount of the food delivered.

• Wastage of Food

India incurs a loss of more than ₹88,800 crores annually due to food waste. In addition to "food loss" which refers to the loss of raw food products during harvest, storage, or transit, primarily as a result of insufficient and disorganised infrastructure and supply chain, there is also "food waste" which refers to food loss at the consumer level.

To ensure that neither the raw ingredients nor the prepared meals end up in the garbage, Akshaya Patra adheres to certain standard operating procedures. Also, it keeps in mind the local taste that children enjoy and prepare locally-palatable meals. And by doing so, this NGO provides children with nutrient-dense food each school day and avoids wastage in school.

• Rebuilding Infrastructure

Teachers and MDM employees may not yet be familiar with MDM guidelines in some of the schools. Some schools in the nation lack kitchen sheds, sufficient utensils and suitable location to serve lunch. This results in poor enthusiasm among the beneficiaries. Every school should have a suitable amount of infrastructure, including kitchens with storage areas, safe drinking water, enough tools for cooking and serving, and water tanks for washing utensils.

• Funds

The problem of not having enough money is still present. It becomes challenging to feed a big number of students with a restricted budget without the generosity and support of donors. Daily consumables are becoming more and more expensive, making it challenging to manage quality ingredients on a constricted budget. Insufficient fund result in low quality and inadequate quantity of food.

• Caste constraints

In rural regions, caste differences are still widespread. Many times, most children from upper caste groups do not consume mid-day meals when the food is prepared and served by a member of a lower caste because of parental pressure.

Internalising the ground realities through need-based assessments, efforts should be the main focus in order to reach children across the country. It is crucial to have a clear road map in the direction of execution through careful analysis of the reality in order to make the MDM Programme inclusive and sustainable.

NGOs like The Akshaya Patra Foundation have constantly been improving the methodologies and technologies to ensure that children receive the safest and hygienic food that helps take care of their nutritional levels and keeps them healthy. This NGO has been recognised as the biggest implementer of the world’s largest school feeding programme.

From feeding just 1,500 children, it has grown to serving mid-day meals to over 2 million children and aims to bring many more children under its beneficiary umbrella. It reaches out to feed nutritious and locally palatable meals to children studying in 65 locations of 14 states and 2 union territories of India.

Challenges are considered to be the first milestone to success. It should not impede the success but help one take one step to achieving its goal.
Your generosity and support can help us fight these challenges and continue feeding the hungry. Donate for children who need you the most, now!

I'm a social volunteer, lives in Bengaluru. I do work for NGOs to make society better. Currently I'm working for The Akshaya Patra Foundation. It's an NGO in India which provides wholesome nutritious mid-day meals to government school children to end classroom hunger. https://www.akshayapatra.org/