mdm.nic.in : Mid Day Meal Scheme

Name of the Organization : Ministry of Human Resource Development Department of School Education & Literacy (mdm.nic.in)
Name of the Scheme : Mid Day Meal Scheme
Location : Delhi

Website : http://mdm.nic.in/

Guidelines to ensure quality, safety and hygiene under the Mid Day Meal Scheme :
Setting ug of the Management Structure at various levels :
It has been observed that proper monitoring of the Scheme at the State level and below is not being carried out because of the lack of a dedicated structures for MDMS at various levels. This is also affecting the Minimum mandatory inspections by the State official (25%). The Management, Monitoring and Evaluation (MME) component of the Scheme provides funds for setting up of appropriate structures at various levels starting from State to School. A few States viz. Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha etc. have set up the requisite structures at different levels for effective monitoring of the Scheme. Other States / UTs are requested to set up similar exclusive monitoring structures for the Mid Day Meal Scheme for effective monitoring and implementation of the Scheme. The role and responsibilities of the concerned authorities at different levels should be clearly defined for rigorous monitoring of the Scheme.

Tasting of the meal by at least one teacher :
The issue of tasting the food by the teacher is absolutely critical. The MDMS guidelines in this regard should be strictly followed. The teacher should keep a record of having tasted food in a register, to be maintained for the purpose. It could be further strengthened by ensuring that one of the SMC members should also taste the food on a rotation basis along with one of the teacher’s before it is distributed to the children. All the States / UTs should issue necessary instruction to all the teachers to ensure tasting of meals before serving to the students.

Safe storage and Qroger suggly of ingredients to schools :
Central Assistance is provided for construction of kitchen-cum-stores for the safe storage of foodgrains, mid day meal ingredients and fuel items. It has been observed that the foodgrains etc. are not stored in the kitchen-cumstores. In some cases, the foodgrains are stored at residence of the Head Teacher or Gram Pradhans, which is in violation of the MDM Guidelines. Sufficient funds have been made available to all the States for construction of kitchen-cum-stores. The Ministry has circulated design of the kitchen-cumstore to all the States / UTs for safe storage of food, cooking of mid day meal in hygienic environment and a place for washing hands by the students. The States / UTs are requested to ensure completion of kitchen-cum-stores expeditiously so that the foodgrains etc. are stored properly in the kitchencum-stores, in storage bins, to avoid moisture and pest infestation. The storage bins should be procured from the funds available under the Scheme and properly labelled for safe storage to avoid any contamination.

Cagacity Building :
The training of cook-cum-helpers, district resource persons for managing safety of foodgrains and hygienic cooking needs to be further strengthened. The schools of home science in different universities could be used for this purpose. Similarly, the inspection of the MDM centres needs to be rationalised. The capacity of the staff in carrying out inspections needs to be upgraded. The district system should ensure that the inspection reports are discussed in the District level Steering-cum—Monitoring Committee meetings and action taken on the reports.

Cooking of mid day meal :
The MDM Guidelines provide for cooking cost AT Rs. 3.34 for primary classes and Rs. 5.00 for upper primary classes, per child per day for purchase of pulses, seasonal / green leafy vegetable, salt and condiments, edible oils and fuel. The State Governments of Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab are procuring and supplying ingredients, through the State PSUs. Others States may consider similar mechanisms for supply of quality Agmark pulses, edible oils and condiments for MDMS to ensure quality nutritional MDMS for the children. Similarly, only “double fortified salt” should be used for cooking mid-day meals. The cooks further need to be advised to carry out cooking with the lid on to avoid loss of nutrients.

Awareness about Mid Day Meal Scheme :
It has been observed that the stakeholders particularly children and community members are not aware about their entitlements and role under the Scheme. As per the MDM Guidelines, the Logo should be painted on outside wall of the school at a prominent place. The entitlements should also be displayed at prominent places for the awareness of children/parents and community members. The guidelines also envisage that the entitlements and other benefits of the Scheme should be publicised through TV, radio, print media etc. All the States / UTs are requested to take steps for wide publicity of the entitlements and benefits of the Scheme. It is also requested that MDM month, preferably November, may be organized to see the preparedness and availability of the foodgrains and funds at various levels. The Ministry of HRD has developed two films on mid day meal Scheme. These could also be used by States as part of the strategy for creating greater awareness about the entitlements under the Scheme.

Convening of Monitoring Committee under the Chairmanshig of Member of Parliament :
The District Magistrate as the Member Secretary is also responsible for convening the meeting of the District level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee at least at quarterly intervals under the Chairmanship of the senior most Member of Parliament of the district for review of Mid Day Meal Scheme. The meeting of the Committee should be convened at least once in each quarter and minutes must be circulated along with Action Taken Note to all the members as well as uploaded on the website.

Convening of regular review meetings at District level :
The above activities need to be monitored regularly at the district level for effective implementation. The meeting of the District Task Force should be convened on a fixed day of the month under the Chairmanship of District Magistrate and if District Magistrate is not available the next higher officer should chair the meeting. The representative of the various Departments such as Civil Supplies, Education, Health, Social Welfare, Panchayats, Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation should be invited for proper convergence of the Scheme.

Social Audit :
Ministry has conducted social audit of the Scheme on pilot basis in two districts viz. Chittoor and Khammam of Andhra Pradesh during 2012-13. The findings have been very useful for enhancing the effectiveness of the Scheme. It has been decided to extend social audit study in other 5 States during the current year. The States may engage reputed Institutes in their State for carrying out such an audit in their respective States and take corrective steps as per their suggestions. The Govt. of Andhra Pradesh has offered all help in this regard.

Testing of food samgles by reguted institute :
The Govt. of NCT of Delhi has engaged the services of Sriram Institute for Industrial Research, Delhi to collect the samples from fields for testing of the food samples on parameters such as microbiological-presence or absence of e-coli, chemical parameters such as moisture content, fats, proteins and calorific value of the meal. The said laboratory has provided useful reports for enhancing the effectiveness of the Scheme. The States / UTs may consider engaging CSIR institutes / National Accreditation Board for Laboratories recognized labs for carrying out sample checking of MDM, to ensure quality meal to the children.

Emergency Medical Plan :
The MDM Guidelines envisage that all necessary steps should be taken to avoid any untoward incident in the school. If any such accident does occur in the school, it should be responsibility of the Head Master to inform District Education Officer / District Health Officer / District Magistrate Without any delay. All the States / UTs should issue necessary instructions for linkages with primary health centre / community health centre / district hospital to ensure early treatment of the children. The District authorities should ensure that prompt medical attention is provided to children in the nearby medical facility or by deputing a doctor to the school.

The MHRD has engaged independent monitoring institutes for monitoring of the Scheme. Similarly, Joint Review Missions visits the States and offer their recommendations. The States / UTs are requested to take immediate corrective actions on these recommendations and submit an Action Taken

Note :
The States may take immediate necessary action on the above issues to enhance the effectiveness of the Mid Day Meal Scheme, the flagship programme of the Govt. of India.

Contact Us :
Mid Day Meal Scheme
The Ministry of Human Resource Development
The Department of School Education & Literacy
Shastri Bhawan
New Delhi – 110001

Phone No. :
011-23384253, 011-23073542,
011-23388037, 011-23386024