A recent Programme Approval Board (PAB) meeting for the PM-POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal) scheme for the year 2024-25, conducted by the Union Ministry of Education, highlighted that 32% of students in Telangana have been opting out of the mid-day meals served in government and local body schools.
What is the Mid-Day Meal Scheme?
The Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme, launched in 1995, is a government initiative aimed at providing free, nutritious meals to school children.It covers students from government, government-aided, and local body schools. The scheme’s key objectives are:
- Improve nutrition among school-going children
- Increase school attendance by incentivizing enrollment and retention
- Support children in drought-affected areas by ensuring consistent food supply
The Alarming Case of Telangana
Statistics from the meeting reveals worrying trends for Telangana, with significant portions of students missing out on mid-day meals. While 11,96,559 students were enrolled in primary schools, the mid-day meal scheme was only approved for 11,24,444 students, meaning 72,115 students (6.09%) did not receive approval for the meals. On average, 69% of the enrolled students participated in the meal program during the academic year 2023-24.
Similarly, in the upper primary schools, of the 6,92,429 students enrolled, the scheme was approved for 5,44,358 students, leaving 1,48,071 students (21.38%) without meal approval. On average, 68% of enrolled students availed themselves of the meals during the same period.
During the PAB meeting, Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy and Chairperson of the PAB, expressed concern that the average coverage of students under the PM POSHAN scheme decreased by approximately 3.71 lakh students between 2022-23 and 2023-24. The report particularly highlighted low coverage, below 60%, in districts like Hyderabad and Mulugu for primary classes, and Hyderabad, Pedapalli, Macherial, Medchal, and Bhadradri for upper primary classes. The Telangana government was asked to identify the reasons behind this drop in participation.
Reasons for Low Participation in Telangana
In response to the low participation, the Telangana government cited the following reasons:
Preference for packed meals: Many students reportedly bring their own lunch from home. School principals have noted that some students find the mid-day meal food “too tangy” and unappealing, which leads them to rely on home-packed lunches.
Health concerns: Several parents believe that home-cooked food is healthier compared to the mid-day meals provided at school.
To address the issue, the Telangana Gazetted Headmasters’ Association has urged the state government to implement a common menu across all government and welfare residential schools.