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IS MID DAY MEAL SCHEME EFFECTIVE?

By: Himanshu Agrawal

Student, VI Semester, B.A.LL.B (Hons.), Department of Law, Prestige Institute of Management & Research, Indore

 

Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme (renamed from PM Poshan Scheme), the scheme which was of the objective to provide nitrous food to students who come from economically disadvantaged background. Rice, dal, eggs, vegetable, fruits etc. and depending upon the circumstances of the given area is provided to the students of the age between six to fourteen years. Mid-day meal scheme was proven to be the largest feeding program at the initial launch, but today it has become to be the topic of discussion because of the government action and moves.

History:

The program was first implemented in Tamil Nadu in 1956 and was later adopted in other states in India. Mid-day meal was a Centre sponsored scheme. Scheme provides a student up to 450-700 calories and 12 – 20 proteins. Thus, scheme became and proven to be successful and benefitted almost over 120 million children across the country. Later governments in states played a vital role to boost the scheme in an effective manner.

With the help of the government and with equal contribution of NGOs, the scheme laid to a great success. Procurement, logistics, and other services were effectively provided by the NGOs.

Damage to the Scheme:

 Going and working towards the effective launch of the scheme, many governments too laid the destruction contrary to the scheme, or they are refereed to be the best-known incidents of mid-day meal scheme.

1.       Chap Poising Incident – In JULY 2023, 23 children died and over 30 fell ill after eating food as part of the mid-day meal program in India. An investigation revealed that oil used was contaminated with pesticides.

2.       Odisha mid-day meal corruption case – the scam came in 2013 when discovered that the contractor for supplying food to schools has been siphoning off funds in program.

3.       Karnal incident, coming up with Delhi and Maharashtra failures lead to several lacunas far behind the implementation of the scheme in an effective manner.

In recent news of West Bengal (2023), wherein the fund of mid-day meal was cumulatively used for the vote bank politics in the panchayat election. Why is government failed to regulate the scheme? Lack of poor infrastructure, additionally issues of corruption, caste discrimination, monitoring of the budget etc. are some major issues which the government must effectively look on to get effective results.

Benefits:

The benefits of the scheme have its way no end. In recent news on 2^nd July 2023, the Hindu has blogged one of the reports on the implementation of the mid-day scheme in Andhra Pradesh, Simbargaon village. The report entailed that besides having lack of facilities by the government in the initiative, the private village people and the workers of the school boost the scheme and effectively coordinated with the student’s providing meal as well as getting them ready for the future. The view of the principle of the college is that if a person is not well versed in getting his academics, he can lay his future by depending upon the knowledge from the agriculture as well. Thus, will help the children in two ways positives.

Apart from providing nutritious meal, scheme also contributes to an increase enrollment rate. Initiative of the scheme has improved the attendance of disadvantaged children in schools. Scheme also laid to the employment opportunities to local women who are responsible for preparing and serving the meals. Farmer’s income and rural produce surge in demand by the initiative of the scheme. Malnourishment rates among children have also decrease, as the scheme ensures at least one nitrous meal every day.

Importance of the Scheme:

Denial of the food also amounts to the violation of the court order in Coral Mullin v. Administrator, Territory of Delhi, India 1981wherein court laid that state must take every effort to protect right to food as denial of the same could result in the denial of the life and would infringe Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. In case of Ektaad v. Union of India 2017, the Supreme Court laid that it is the responsibility of the government to ensure food securities for all the citizens.

 Solutions to effectively implement the Scheme:

·         There must be proper supply chain system network which can effectively, lay the goods to the kitchens of the schools in each state.

· Supply chain network can easily be understandable via the business modal wherein (wholesaler, retailer, and producer), lay the effective implementation of network to raise the goods in the market for consumers. 

·      GPS tracking of the goods vehicles must be done as to see a check that, the vehicles are going on their designated location.

·        The funds by the government must be disburse in proper manner, and not at the time of election as to be considered as the vote bank politics. And at last, overall, a multi-stakeholders approach too is implemented for the effectiveness of the program.