Synopsis: Mid-Day Meal Programme and its Impact on Nutritional Growth among Rural Children

STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Mid-day meal (popularly called MDM scheme) is a school lunch programme launched in the
year 1995 with two pronged strategy- to enhance educational attainment and to improve
nutritional status of the school children of the classes 1st-5th in all government primary schools.
This paper attempts to investigate on the nutritional growth among the rural children based on
the primary data collected. The investigation includes a study of organizational structure of the
programme and also examines the cooked meals and dry ration variants.
It also traces the success of MDM scheme and its overcoming of various teething problems that
besieged it since its launch. The study addresses the challenges still being faced and suggests
possible remedies.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Reetika Khera (2006), in her paper wrote about the various achievement and challenges of the
MDM scheme. According to her the main remaining challenge as far as the MDMS is concerned
is the quality of the meal. As the reports of children being ill, after consumption of mid-day meal,
have occasionally made headlines in various parts of the country. She suggested that success of
the programme highly depends on the public participation and how vigilant they are about it. The
curbing of political interest has also been a point of discussion in her paper.
Jean Dreze & Aparajita Goyal (2003), in their paper said that the experience so far clearly
shows that mid-day meals have much to contribute to the well-being and future of Indian
children. As things stand, mid-day meal programmes have many flaws, but the way to go is
forward and not backward. With adequate resources and quality safeguards, mid-day meals can
play a major role in improving school attendance, eliminating classroom hunger and fostering
social equity.
Anima Rani Si & Naresh Kumar Sharma (2008), in their empirical study of the mid-day meal
progamme researched district Khurda in Orissa. They wrote about the organizational structure of
school lunch and the impact MDM scheme had in the employment opportunities and the
nutritional gain benefitting the rural children. The preference for dry ration upon cooked meals
was also see in the district of Khurda, Orissa. According to the school from where the primary

Synopsis: Mid-Day Meal Programme and its Impact on Nutritional Growth among Rural Children

data was collected it was said that they preferred dry ration as cooked meals have a lot of
backdrops such as it distracted students while the food was being cooked as there was no proper
shed. Also, teachers were left exhausted after cooking the meals due to the distribution of meals
to students and that is why they preferred dry ration.
Jyotsna Jain & Mihir Shah (2005), in their research paper wrote about Antyodaya Anna Yojana
and Mid-Day Meals in Madhya Pradesh. They pointed out how the government of Madhya
Pradesh increased the nutritional value of the meal with their policies in the year 2004 of
Ruchikar (relishing) mid-day meal. They explained how the good food increased the output of
students in the school and there being regular in class. More suggestions were made too such as
safe drinking water to be provided and the proper hygienic kitchen as per the orders of Supreme
Court.
Research findings of Pratichi trust of Prof. Amartya Kumar Sen (2010), said MDM as a
success throughout the country as compared to the other policies. It suggested that the quality of
food is still to be worked upon. The active participation of the beneficiaries has made it like a
community programme. The quick response of the state administration in amending the
shortcomings indicates that the administration is gradually becoming aware of this.
National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
(2007) observed that as a result of Mid Day Meal Scheme the school enrolment indicated marked
improvement. The Scheme has played a crucial role in reducing drop-out rate, especially among
girls. Parents viewed that the Mid Day Meal Scheme had reduced the burden of providing one
time meal to their children and considered it as a great support to their families.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The given proposal relies on the theory of Functionalism, which interprets each part of society
in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole society, how social order is possible or
how society remains relatively stable.
In context of this theory, it is the Governments duty to provide employment opportunities, health
facilities and education to the weaker section of the Society to maintain the social order.

Synopsis: Mid-Day Meal Programme and its Impact on Nutritional Growth among Rural Children

Cultural theory, this term has been applied to diverse attempts to conceptualize and understand
the dynamics of culture. Historically these have involved arguments about the relationship
between culture and nature, culture and society (including material social processes), the split
between high and low culture, and the interplay between cultural tradition and cultural difference
and diversity. Cultural theory has also been marked by an engagement with concepts which have
often been taken to cover some of the same ground signified by the notion of culture itself.
Prominent here have been the concepts of ideology and consciousness (particularly its collective
forms). In light of cultural theory my research topic Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in India is related as
I m going to deal with the problems related to the parents as well as students that they dont have
food to eat so how could their children is able to attend the school but after implementation of
mid day meal program how it motivated the people and how it effect the education.

RELEVANCY OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

The study attempts to analyze the impact of mid-day meal programme on primary education in
terms of enrolment, nutritional gain and attendance on the basis of primary data collected from a
village near Ranchi, Jharkhand. The scheme of mid-day meal was introduced as a means of
achieving universal primary education of satisfactory quality for all school children below the
age of 14 by increasing enrolment, improving attendance and retention, and simultaneously
improving nutritional status. It is difficult for a malnourished child to concentrate on studies and
hence it hampers the process of his/her education. A child with an empty stomach devotes most
of his attention to food rather than learning. So a scheme to overcome classroom hunger is
expected not only to improve the learning process but also to enhance the nutritional status of
children and see if he/she is getting the required amount of calories. The MDM scheme is aimed
at overcoming classroom hunger, caused primarily by widespread poverty. Indeed poverty and
classroom hunger (as an important factor in impairment of education) reinforce each other and
can be seen to be locked in a vicious cycle.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

To study the impact of MDM scheme in the improvement of health of the rural children.
To understand the efficiency of MDM with respect to the enrollments and dropout rates.

Synopsis: Mid-Day Meal Programme and its Impact on Nutritional Growth among Rural Children

To study the calorie count actually the rural students are getting as compared to the bench

mark of 300 calorie (as per the order of Supreme Court).

To comparatively analyses and infer which is better (and more preferred) among dry
ration and cooked up meal.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

An increase in the rate of number of enrollments and a decrease in the dropout rates.
There is no proper maintenance of kitchen and lack of infrastructure.
There is no proper staff to manage the distribution and other things.
No visible health growth, as students are not getting the required calorie, which is 300 as
per the order of Supreme Court.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design: Explanatory and Descriptive.

Population Study: Sampling method, assessing 25-30 students and staff members.
Sample Size & Sample Design: Stratified random sampling.
Method of data collection: Both primary as well as secondary methods are used in the
drafting of this research paper. The primary sources used include the use of questionnaire
method. In secondary sources, various journals and digests were referred to. Research
findings of eminent economists and socialists are also examined and analyzed.

TENTATIVE CHAPTERIZATION:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

Introduction
Impact on literacy rate of country
Impact on Nutritional Growth Among Rural Children
Flaws in Implementation
Reasons of improper Implementation of Policies
Suggestions
Conclusion
References

REFERENCE

Baru, Dasgupta, Deshpande & Mohanty (2008); Full meal or Package Deal? ; Economic
& Political Weekly, Vol. 43, No. 24, pp. 20-22.

Synopsis: Mid-Day Meal Programme and its Impact on Nutritional Growth among Rural Children

Drze, Jean & Goyal, Aparjita (2003); Future of Mid-Day Meals; Economic & Political

Weekly, Vol. 38 No. 44, pp. 4673-4683.

Jain, Jyotsna & Shah, Mihir (2005); Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Mid-Day Meals in MP;

Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 40, No. 48, pp. 5076-5080+5085-5092.
Rao, Vasanta Srinivasa (2009); Lack of Community Participation in the Sarva Shiksha

Abhiyan: A Case Study; Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 44, No. 8, pp. 61-64.
Si, Anima Rani & Sharma, Naresh Kumar (2008), An Empirical Study of the Mid-Day
Meal Programme in Khurda, Orissa; Economic & Political Weekly, Vol. 43, No. 25, pp.

46-55.
Singh, Shashi Bhushan; Future of Mid-Day Meals; Economic & Political Weekly, Vol.
39, No. 9, pp. 998-1000.