MDM

Mid-day meal plan - An Introduction.

The National Programme of Nutritional support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a centrally supported scheme on 15th of August 1995. This School meal programme is popularly known as Mid-day Meal Scheme. The Mid-day Meal Scheme in Bihar was also started way back in 1995. The main objectives of Mid-day Meal Scheme are :-

i.To provide hot cooked Mid-day Meal to each and every child attending Government/Government aided Schools, EGS and AIE centers, NCLP including Maqtabs and Madarsas.ii.To enhance enrolment, retention, attendance of the students and simultaneously to improve nutritional levels amongst children.iii.To protect children from class room hunger.iv.To motivate children belonging to disadvantaged sections to attend school on a more regular basis and also to help them to concentrate on school and class room activities.v.To improve socialization among the castes and to enhance gender equity.

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In Bihar from 1995 to 2002, 3kg dry ration was given to each child per month under the scheme. In 2003-04 cooked meal was introduced in 2532 schools as a pilot project covering 30 blocks of 10 different districts. From January 2005 hot cooked meal was being provided to all the primary schools across the state including different learning centers. In February 2008 Mid-day Meal was extended to upper primary level, thus covering all the children from Class I-VIII. The ingredients and the quantity to be supplied in Mid-day Meal Scheme is as under :