Mid Day Meals Scheme (MDM) is a welfare scheme of the government aimed at solving the problems of hunger, malnutrition, and poor school attendance among children. The scheme provides free, wholesome meals to school children in India. The scheme provides a hot cooked meal to children in primary and upper primary schools and helps in their physical and mental growth.
Objectives:
The two main objectives of the Mid Day Meals Scheme are:
- Enhancing Nutritional Status: The scheme is meant to provide a balanced diet and nutrients to the children, leading to their growth and development as a whole.
- Enhancing School Attendance: The provision of free meals leads to increased school attendance, which ultimately results in enhanced retention rates.
Benefits:
- Better Nutrition: Reduces malnutrition and contributes to physical and mental development.
- Improved Attendance and Retention Rates: Leads to improved attendance and retention rates of children.
- Decrease in Health Problems: Supports less health complications caused by malnutrition.
- Improved Capacity for Learning: Facilitates kids being able to learn and concentrate better at school.
- Social Parity: Supports uniform availability of meals for nutritious nourishment of kids of all socio-economic categories.
- Lessens Burden on the Family: Shields the families from expenditure incurred due to paid meals.
Eligibility:
- Creation of Jobs: Generates job opportunities within the locality through personnel hired to supply and prepare the meals, and serving staff.
- Age Conditions: Basically for children in the 6-14 years age group.
- Socio-economic Status: Economically weaker sections of society, i.e., children from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families are given priority.
- School Attendance: Regular attendance is required to take advantage of the benefits.
- School Enrollment: The child should be enrolled in a recognized school by the concerned education authorities.
Exclusions:
- Secondary and Higher Education Students: The scheme does not apply to children at secondary or higher education schools.
- Private School Students: Private school students not within the government scheme are exempted.
- Alternative Meal Programs: Communities with other meal programs already existing in them might be excluded.
Application Process:
Offline Process:
Step 1: Registration at the School
Parents or guardians of the eligible students are required to go to the school where their child is studying and complete the registration form given by the school.
Step 2: Verification of Eligibility
The school will check the eligibility of the student on the basis of age, school enrollment, and socio-economic status. Other documents may be asked for as and when required.
Step 3: Enrollment Confirmation
Once eligibility is confirmed, the school will notify parents or guardians about the successful enrollment and provide details about the meals and program commencement.
Step 4: Regular Attendance
The student must maintain regular attendance to continue benefiting from the scheme. The school will monitor attendance and participation.
Step 5: Meal Distribution
The food will be provided at the school during school time in a classroom or specific dining hall based on the facility of the school.
Step 6: Periodic Evaluation
Periodic reviews can be performed by the school to evaluate how effective the scheme is. Suggestions from students, parents, and teachers can be gathered to better the scheme.
Documents Required:
- Birth Certificates or age proof of students
- Aadhaar card or other identification documents
- School Registration Certificate
- Bank Account Details (if applicable for direct benefit transfer)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q1: Which students qualify under the Mid Day Meals Scheme to get meals?
Students of government and government-aided schools between the ages of six and fourteen, so representing economically less fortunate parts of society.
Q2: Are the meals offered for free?
Indeed, the beneficiary pupils pay free for the meals.
Q3: Why does the Mid Day Meals Program exist?
By means of free meals in schools, the initiative emphasizes on children’s health condition and school attendance.
Q4: Kind of cuisine is offered?
There are wholesome meals on hand that offer a balanced diet. The kind of meals could change depending on the institutions and areas.
Q5: How is the meal quality and hygienic guaranteed?
The meal is presented in hygienic and sanitary surroundings. Regular inspections conducted by the school administration guarantees the caliber of the food provided.
Q5: How is the quality and cleanliness of the meals guaranteed?
The food is served in clean and hygienic environments. Regular checks by school authorities guarantee the quality of food served.
Q6: Should parents be allowed to contribute to the scheme?
Parents can contribute to the scheme through regular schooling of their children.
Q7: Is the Mid Day Meals Scheme run across all the states of India?
Yes, the scheme is run across the country, although with varying state-level implementation.
Q8: Do children with specific needs have special dietary requirements?
The scheme is essentially to deliver balanced diet, but special needs can be catered to at the local school level.
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