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org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138)

MID DAY MEALS: A DETAILED STUDY OF

INDIAN STATES
Nidhi Sinha
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
S.P.M. College, Udantpuri, Patliputra University, Patna, India

Abstract : With higher degree of school going children suffering from undernourishment, Mid Day Meal Programme (MDM) was
launched in India in 1995. Thus the research paper focuses on MDM Scheme in India. There is existence of under prevailing inequality
in availing of Mid Day Meal Programme across states and within states and among income groups and social groups. Therefore, the
study aims at addressing these issues with the evidences from unit level data of National Sample Survey Office 64 th Round. The
research focuses upon relationship between Mid Day Meal and school infrastructure. It even studies inequality in availing of MDM in
rural and urban areas, among boys and girls, among income and social group.

IndexTerms - Mid Day Meal, Social groups, Infrastructure, Elementary Education.

I. INTRODUCTION
The situation of children in India is very concerning for planners of our country. Presently nearly half of the Indian children are
undernourished1. This is rightly called as “Silent Emergency” for children by Khera (2006). This makes primary education and basic
health facilities as fundamental challenges of human development in India (Afridi,2005). Realizing the relationship between education
and health, Government of India has launched the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education or the Mid Day
Meal (MDM) Schemes in 1995. The MDM scheme was launched with an objective of improving nutritional status of children and
reducing classroom hunger. Apart from this it also includes promoting school participation (in terms of enrolment, attendance and
retention), fostering social inequality, enhancing caste and gender equity with particular attention to children belonging to
disadvantaged groups (see fig 1.1).

Figure 1.1: Linkage between poverty, food insecurity and nutrition

Source: Flores and Gillespie (2001)

The MDM scheme is for all children of primary and upper primary classes attending Govt., Govt. aided and local body schools and
Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) / Alternative Innovative Education (AIE) centers including madarasas / maqtabs (by MHRD, Govt
of India). It covered 87 percent children in rural and 12 per cent in urban area in 2007-08 of the total children who were availing MDM
in India (NSSO 2007-08).
Thus the research paper focuses on MDM Scheme in India. There is existence of under prevailing inequality in availing of Mid Day
Meal Programme across states and within states and among income groups and social groups. Therefore, study aims at addressing these
issues with the evidences from NSSO 64th Round.

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II. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction and History
On 15th August 1995, the government of India launched the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-
NSPE) as a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme. It was started with a view to enhance enrolment, retention and attendance and
simultaneously improving nutritional level among children. Initially in 1995 it was introduced in 2408 blocks in the country and by
1997-98 the NP-NSPE was introduced in all blocks. Under this programme, cooked mid day meals were to be introduced in all
government, government aided and local body schools for children at primary level. However, in the first six years after the scheme
was launched (until 2001), most states failed in putting required arrangements and thus provided monthly dry ration based on the
attendance of the students (Khera,2006).
The Supreme Court gave the states a wake-up call on November 28, 2001 directing the state governments/ union territories to
implement the mid- day meal scheme by providing every child in every government and government- assisted primary school with a
prepared mid – day meal with a minimum content of 300 calories and 8-12 grams of proteins each day of school for a minimum of 200
days within six months. Although few states introduced cooked meals before the Supreme Court’s initial deadline of February 2002.
The guidelines for MDM were revived by government of India in 2004. According to these new guidelines, MDM was fully
implemented in 20 states and all seven union territories and partially in the remaining eight states (Assam, Bihar, Goa, Jammu &
Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal). Also provision of MDM during summer vacation in drought affected areas was
introduced in 2004. In October 2007, the scheme was further revised to cover children in upper primary. The programme will be
extended to all areas across the country from 2008-09. The calorific value of a mid day meal at upper primary stage has been fixed at a
minimum of 700 calories and 20 grams of proteins by providing 150 grams of food grains (rice/wheat) per child/school day.
Major issues highlighted by the literature are:

2.2 Enrolment, Retention and Attendance

Many literatures suggest that the MDM scheme has led to substantial increase in the enrolment, retention and attendance of
children. Many researches on primary education in India suggest that mid-day meals help in enhancing school participation especially
among young girls2. Study of Dreze and Kingdon (2001) estimated that the provision of MDM in the local school is associated with a
50 per cent reduction in the proportion of girls who are out of school. In another instance of CES survey undertaken in 2003 in
Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Karnataka it was found that mid- day meals have major impact on school participation of girls. The survey
too suggests that school enrolment in the sample villages shot up after mid-day meals were introduced3. It also points significant
improvement in daily attendance. Many parents reported that MDM had made it much easier for them to send their children to school
in morning. Subsequently it have improved retention capacity.

2.3 Nutritional and Health

One of the objectives of MDM is to address classroom hunger and provide sufficient nutrition to the children. There are many
students who go empty stomach to school and could not concentrate on study thus MDM provide them nutrition and help them to
concentrate on classroom activities. Even in absence of MDM students go to their home for lunch and never return ( Dreze and Goyal,
2003). As it is pointed out by Dreze (2004), poor learning abilities and greater exposure to disease are directly related to hunger and
under nutrition. A study by Ramachandran (2003) emphasis that children assured their name to be registered in schools as proof of their
official enrolment. The absenteeism in this type of condition is basically due to poor economic condition.

2.4 Meal Type : Package meal Vs Cooked meal

This is the recent debate on the issue of giving pre-cooked food or cooked meal. It came to light in the Rajya Sabha on a reported
move by the Women and Child Development Ministry
to provide pre-cooked food in 2008. It has been noticed that Ms. Renuka Chowdhury, the union Minister of State for Women and Child
Development has become keen on public- private partnership for delivering ready-to-eat packaged food in schools instead of cooked
meals. It is pointed out that in several states where packaged food was being given, supplies got centralised in the hands of large
contractors who misused the scheme for their advantage 4. The Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health at JNU admitted that
recent debates about introducing packaged foods is driven by business interests and lobbies than any serious concern about addressing
poverty, hunger and poor health of majority children and this is unacceptable and goes against fundamental rights of children.
Baru, Dasguta, Deshpande and Mohanty (2008) believed that the proposal to replace cooked meals in the MDM with packaged
food and biscuits will undermine the gains achieved towards the implementation of programmes. They admit that dry ration and
biscuits are often not consumed by children and though they did push up enrolment it had little impact on attendance and retention
levels. The evidence suggests that children often take the dry foods home and may not eat it later and in context of poverty it often get
shared among family members.
And of course, midday meals i.e. cooked meal prevent “classroom hunger” which dry rations or package meal may not do. Finally,
midday meals have various “socialisation” roles, mentioned earlier which cannot be performed by dry rations (Dreze,2005, MDM
Primer).

2.5 Social and Educational

Another major objective of MDM other than promoting attendance and nutrition is its socialization value.5MDM can play a role in
erosion of caste prejudices and class inequality by inculcating good practices among children like sitting together and sharing of meal.
Inspite of these issues there are reports of caste discrimination in MDM. According to Thorat and Lee (2004) and Khera (2006), two
types of caste discrimination have been reported: one discrimination against children on the basis of their caste and second,
discrimination against appointment of cooks. Evidences in support of caste discrimination are found in works of Dreze and S Vivek
(2002), Dreze and Goyal (2003), Thorat and Lee (2005), Khera (2006). 6The study of Thorat and Lee (2005) is one of the best which
address caste discrimination against dalits. They find out that MDM for dalit children is hampered as most meals are served in
dominant caste localities. The access for dalit children depends upon caste relations in the village or region. There were also instances
of discrimination in form of segregated seating, different food served to different castes, giving insufficient food to dalits, not allowed
to drink water by themselves. Also there is strong opposition to dalit cooks. Exclusion is practised by favouring hiring of dominant
caste cooks, sending children with packed lunches or forbidding children to eat prepared by dalit cooks. Also some dominant caste
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parents react to hiring and keeping of a dalit cook by withdrawing their children from schools and sometime admitting them to different
school where cook is not dalit.

2.6 Infrastructure
MDM may lead to disruption of classroom processes where there is lack of infrastructure, therefore basic infrastructure is needed
for its implementation. Infrastructure includes water supply, separate kitchen, cooking utensils, plates, fuel, storage facility, adequate
staff, monitoring and supervision authorities7. According to a study conducted by Dreze and Goyal in Bamhu, the mid-day meal there is
prepared in a soot-covered classroom using a makeshift stove. The cook struggles with inadequate utensils and takes help from young
children for cutting the vegetables and cleaning the rice. According to the teacher, no teaching takes place after lunch as the classroom
turns filthy.8 In some schools abandoned room in the school building is used for preparing the meals. Even in some cases cooking was
done in classroom which distracted students from their studies.

2.7 Quality and Quantity

The issue of quality of the meal is foremost among the issues that need to be tackled. This in turn depends upon the norms that are
set by the government as well as on the conditions in which meal is prepared. In lack of proper infrastructure quality of meal tend to
detoriate. The study of Afridi (2005) points that quality of daliya programme was poor in study area of Madhya Pradesh. Also the
quantity of the meal was small. Normally all schools were mandate to provide sweet daliya on alternate school days. But there were
evidences of panchayat cutting costs by serving sweet daliya once a week or a few days in a month. He found out that new initiative of
Suruchi Bhozan was providing children with much calories and was therefore more popular among children. Opposite to this study,
study of Dreze and Goyal (2003) conducted in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Karnataka found out that the food supplied were adequate
for young children. According to study Karnataka provided the most varied and nutritious menu while menu of Rajasthan was same
and boring for children. Some poor household in Karnataka termed MDM as ‘festive food’ for their children. Areas vary on issue of
quality and quantity of MDM. Greater attention should be given to quality aspect of programme for maintaining attendance and
providing nutrition.

III. OBJECTIVE
Following are the objectives studied in the paper:
-To study how infrastructure facilities are related with each other and to Mid Day Meal
-To study inequality in availing of MDM in rural and urban areas, among boys and girls, among income and social group.

IV. DATABASE
The study is based on two secondary data sources:
- State Reports Card, 2007-08, NUEPA
- Education in India: 2007-08, Participation and Expenditure, NSS 64th Round, July 2007- June 2008, Report No.
532(64/25.2/1)

V. METHODOLOGY
Following have been calculated using IBM SPSS software
 Infrastructure Index using Principal Component Analysis
 Modified Sopher’s Index (Reference category is ‘YES’ i.e. percent children availing MDM)
 Karl Pearson linear correlation method
 Binary Logistic Regression
NOTE: The five income quintiles are formed by ranking the households on the basis of their Monthly Per Capita Expenditure with 20
per cent population in each group. ‘Class I’ refers to the poorest 20 per cent of the population and ‘Class V’ refers to the richest 20 per
cent of the population. Class wise classification of income groups are:
MPCE Class I : Below Rs 416.60
MPCE Class II : Rs 416.70-Rs 541.20
MPCE Class III : Rs 541.30-Rs 700.00
MPCE Class IV : Rs 700.10-Rs 1000.00
MPCE Class V : More than Rs 1000.00

 Study is based on following:

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Primary
I-V
CLASSES
Upper primary/middle
VI-VIII
Coverage of
Study Government

INSTITUTION Private aided

Local Body

Figure 5.1: Study based categorization

VI. DISCUSSION
The body of the research paper has been organized in the following manner:
1.Infrastructure facilities
2.Spatial inequality in access of Mid Day Meal
 Rural and Urban Differences
 Gender Differences
 Income Differences
 Social Group Differences
3. Binary Logistic Regression Analysis

6.1. Infrastructure Facilities

MDM may lead to disruption of classroom processes when there is lack of infrastructure, therefore basic infrastructure is needed for its
implementation. Infrastructure includes water supply, separate kitchen, cooking utensils, plates, fuel, storage facility, adequate staff,
monitoring and supervision authorities9.
Therefore in this part of the paper emphasis is laid on inter relationship among infrastructure facilities and Mid Day Meal.
For this indicator of Infrastructure Facility which affects the number of children availing MDM are used for constructing Correlation
Matrix and Infrastructure Index. They are:
Negative Indicators
 Percentage of single classroom schools
 Percentage of single teacher schools
 Percentage of schools with no building
 Percentage school with no drinking water facility (Positive indicator for correlation matrix)
 Percentage school with no kitchen shed (Positive indicator for correlation matrix)
**Availing MDM only used for correlation matrix
Table 6.1.1: Correlation matrix showing relationship among indicators and with MDM
Availing Single Single Drinking School with Schools
MDM classroom teacher water kitchen shed with no
school school building
Availing MDM 1 -0.34 -0.18 0.20 0.48 -0.05
Single classroom -0.34 1 0.58 -0.62 -0.05 0.01
school
Single teacher -0.18 0.58 1 -0.45 0.03 -0.06
school
Drinking water 0.20 -0.62 -0.45 1 0.13 -0.43
School with kitchen 0.48 -0.05 0.03 0.13 1 -0.04
shed
Schools with no -0.05 0.01 -0.06 -0.43 -0.04 1
building
*NOTE: Colored values are significant at one percent
Table 6.1.1. founds that school with kitchen shed have positive and significant correlation with MDM. But increase in number of
kitchen shed is result of implementation MDM programme at state level. For successful carrying out programme Government of India
sanctioned funds to states for establishing kitchen shed. Single classroom school have weak and negative correlation with MDM which
was found to be insignificant. This may mean that MDM availing by children became less where there is occurrence of single class
room as this lead to multi dimension problems (as discussed earlier). Single teacher school too have weak and negative relation.
When relationship among indicators is studied, it showed that single classroom school is positively and strongly related with single
teacher school and negatively and strongly related with drinking water facility. Even single teacher school is negatively and strongly
related to drinking water facility. Even school with no building is found to be negatively related with drinking water facility.
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INFRASTRUCTURE INDEX
Infrastructure index is calculated to study relation between children availing MDM and infrastructure available. This is basically
performed to see, if the states with better infrastructure facilities have more children availing MDM or not.

Map 6.1.1: Infrastructure Index

*Highest the value of index, worst is the state and vice versa
Best infrastructure facilities are observed in states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh from Map 6.1.1. While
moderate infrastructure facilities are at Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. States with worst
infrastructure facilities are Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Assam. Surprisingly developed states like Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh have worst infrastructure facilities. In most of the indicators they even lag behind Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Schools with single classroom and single teacher is quiet high among this two states.
States with good infrastructure and high percent of children availing MDM are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh. While
states with poor infrastructure facility like Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan have medium to high
percent of children availing MDM. Even Punjab with good infrastructure facility have low percent of children availing MDM. Even the
correlation between Infrastructure Index and MDM is found to be weak and negative i.e. -3.1. This proves there is no direct and
significant relation between infrastructure facilities and MDM.

6.2. Spatial inequality in access of MDM

At all India level 68 percent students are availing MDM. There are sharp contrasts among states on the issue of children availing MDM.
Some states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Gujarat have gone beyond compliance with Supreme court orders on MDM. The
achievements among these states is due to the reason that MDM was initiated before the national scheme was launched in 1995 (Dreze
and Goyal ,2003, Khera, 2006). While Tamil Nadu’s scheme has the longest history, in 1956 meals were provided to two lakh children.
Rajasthan is also in the category of best performing states. As in Rajasthan, the state government took an early decision to implement
the Supreme Court order of November 2001. In fact, it was the first state to do so, among those states where no mid day meal scheme
was in place at that time. To these Dreze and Goyal (2003) admit exsistence of a high level monitoring committee which closely
supervised the programme from the beginning, and the progress of MDM was also watched by the right to food campaign in case of
Rajasthan.

Table 6.2.1: Children availing Mid Day Meal (MDM) in percent

States with full implementation of Percent children availing MDM in
MDM in 2003(Dreze,Goyal) 2007-08 (NSSO)
Tamil Nadu 90.6
Karnataka 90.1
Kerala 87.9
Rajasthan 78.0
Gujarat 76.4
Madhya Pradesh 73.6
Chhattisgarh 70.1
Andhra Pradesh 69.2

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This becomes clearer from the above Table 6.2.1. which explains performance of states in terms of percent children availing MDM in
2007-08. These states have high percentage of children availing MDM. Therefore somehow history of implementation of MDM
matters in performance of states. As early start helps states to build up proper governance, infrastructure and other needs.
The study of Dreze and Goyal (2003) points out that states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand haven’t implemented MDM
until 2003 (Map 6.2.1.). Therefore it can be a reason for their falling out in the race of better performing states.

Map 6.2.1.: MDM scheme implementation across India, 2003

Source: Drèze and Goyal (2003)
6.2.1. Rural and urban differences
MDM covers more than 85 percent children in rural India. In rural area more than 70 percent student are availing MDM while in urban
area 51 percent are availing MDM. MDM has became a success story in many rural areas of India.
While pattern of children not availing MDM is also studied for locating the children who are not availing MDM in India. States were
found to behave similar to all India statistics. As In rural India only Goa, Punjab and Manipur have children not availing MDM more
than 60 percent. While in urban India this category of states witness increase in number. New addition are of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal,
Jammu & Kashmir and most of the North Eastern states. Even states in 40 to 60 percent category increased. Overall it was found in
rural area less student were not availing while in urban area more student are not availing MDM. Even urban area have probability half
of rural areas for children availing MDM. (see binary logistic regression, model, Table 3.1 and Table 3.2).

6.2.2. Gender differences

Many literatures suggest that the MDM scheme has led to substantial increase in the enrolment, retention and attendance of children.
Many researches on primary education in India suggest that mid-day meals help in enhancing school participation especially among
young girls10. Study of Dreze and Kingdon (2001) estimated that the provision of MDM in the local school is associated with a 50 per
cent reduction in the proportion of girls who are out of school. In another instance of CES survey undertaken in 2003 in Chhattisgarh,
Rajasthan and Karnataka it was found that mid- day meals have major impact on school participation of girls. The survey too suggests
that school enrolment in the sample villages shot up after mid-day meals were introduced11. It also points significant improvement in
daily attendance of girls.

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MDM is a government programme in which discrimination and disparity against girl student is believed not to be practiced and thus it
act as a “PUBLIC CHECK”. At household level discrimination can be performed among girls and boys in terms of providing food.
Still there are households in India where it is believed that girls require less nutrition than boy, therefore they are given less food. But
when there is case of public education no discrimination is practiced among girls and boys. This form part of “SHAME CULTURE”.
Regression value shows that girls have 1.12 more probability than boys in availing MDM.
While when Index of Inequality was constructed for the study, it shows little variation among states. All states except Jharkhand
have similar pattern of inequality. Even 69 percent girls were found to avail MDM while 67 percent boys were found to avail MDM.

6.2.3. Income differences

Access of MDM depends upon attendance. MDM act like incentive for drawing more children into school and keep them for longer
years in schools thereby impacting their educational attainment (Viswanathan, 2006). Lower level of educational attainment and poor
nutritional status are always linked with poverty. The aim of MDM is to increase the enrolment and attendance by providing nutritional
support to children belonging to poorer households. It is expected that children from poorer households are likely to perform better in
educational attainment if they have access to school meals compared to those who do not.

Percent Children Availing MDM by Income Quintiles at ALL India

Level
80

60
POPULATION OF CHILDREN
40
Availing (To the total
20 population)

0
MPCE I MPCE II MPCE III MPCE IV MPCE V

Figure 6.2.3.1: Children availing MDM by income quintiles

MDM was started with objective of covering maximum economically deprived students. And it is found that it has fulfilled its
objective as about 70 percent children from low income (MPCE I & MPCE II) are found to be availing MDM (Fig. 6.2.3.1). While it is
low among high income group.

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For more maps refer Annexure

Even regression value proves that highest income group has least probability of availing MDM in comparison with lowest income
group. While low and middle income group (MPCE II & III) have equal probability of availing MDM to least income group (MPCE I).
Study of inequality in availability of MDM have been studied for two income groups:
 Low income group (MPCE I & MPCE II): Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have least number of children not
availing MDM under this category. It proves government of these states are efficient enough to deliver services. While only in
Nagaland and Goa more children are found to be not availing MDM in comparison to availing category. Central India have
similar picture.
 High Income group (MPCE IV & MPCE V): For student of high income group it is preassumed that they will avail MDM
least. As they are economically sound, so they bring their own lunch pack even if school have MDM facility. For this group
Dadra & Nagar Haveli have highest number of children availing MDM thus it has highest value in MSI. While it is found in
states of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and North eastern states more
children of this category were not availing MDM proving the above mentioned hypothesis [see regression tables 3.1 and 3.2]
In Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu high number of children were found to avail MDM. This is due to good governance and
good quality of MDM12 .

6.2.4. Social differences

Inequality across social group is studied to see participation among them. Special emphasis is given on Dalits or Scheduled Castes in
this section. Dalits in India are considered to be untouchable. Government of India has made practice of untouchability a punishable
offence but still it is practiced in most of the rural areas in India. Still in rural areas dominant caste Hindu behave on their
understanding of ‘Purity and Pollution’. Therefore it also impact MDM programme in the areas where it is practised 13.
Percent availability of MDM by Dalits shows their social acceptance in the society. As high percentage of availing of MDM by Dalits
shows that caste practices are not rigid and Dalit children are allowed to avail MDM. While their low percentage represent presence of
discrimination in the society.
At all India level, 70 percent Dalits to their total population are found availing MDM while Non Dalits (including STs, OBC and
General) it is 72 percent. So there is not much differences among the two. Even the probability of availing MDM of Dalit is found to be
0.99 in comparison with Non Dalits. This shows no sign of discrimination at all India level. Study is not conducted separately for rural
and urban, this limit the study. As picture of discrimination may vary at rural level as caste prejudice still prevails in rural areas.
Figure 6.2.4.1 and fig. 6.2.4.2. shows that at state level, in Punjab, Manipur, Arunachal and Assam both Dalit and Non Dalits are found
to avail MDM less. While in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh more Dalits and Non Dalits were found to
avail MDM.

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Modified Sopher's Index Showing Inequality in

access of MDM among Dalits
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-1
-1.5
-2

Figure 6.2.4.1: Inequality in access of MDM among dalits

Modified Sopher's Index Showing Inequality in

access of MDM among Non Dalits
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8

Figure 6.2.4.2: Inequality in access of MDM among non dalits

6.3. Binary Logistic Regression

Two models of binary logistic regression are created for the study:
Table 6.3.1: Binary Logistic Regression Model 1
SECTOR Rural
Urban 0.60
SEX Boy
Girl 1.13
INCOME QUINTILE MPCE I
MPCE II 0.94
MPCE III 0.95
MPCE IV 0.74
MPCE V 0.40
RELIGION Hindu
Muslim 1.14
Others 0.68
SOCIAL GROUPS Scheduled tribe
Scheduled caste 0.72
Other Backward Class 0.71
General 0.46
CONSTANT 3.91

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Table 6.3.1, shows probability of children availing MDM in urban area is less than rural area. While probability of girls availing MDM
is more than boys. Probability of MPCE V availing MDM is least while it’s high in low and medium income groups. Probability o f
Muslim is more than Hindu. Probability of SCs availing MDM is more than any other social group but it is more or less equal to OBC.
Table 6.3.2: Binary Logistic Regression Model 2
Income Quintile MPCE I & II
(Low Income)
MPCE IV & V 0.58
(High income)
SOCIAL GROUPS Non SCs
SCs 0.99
CONSTANT 2.898

The second model from table 6.3.2, is constructed basically to see probability of Dalits in comparison to Non Dalit and probability of
children of high income group in comparison with low income group. Probability of Dalit is found to be more or less equal to
probability of Non Dalits in availing of MDM. While probability of high income group is found to be low.

VII. CONCLUSION
From the study it is concluded that, there is no direct and significant relation between infrastructure facilities and MDM. Spatial
inequality is observed in terms of children availing MDM. But there was no sign of inequality or discrimination practice against girls.
Rather MDM has boosted girls’ enrolment and attendance. It was even found MDM is more popular in rural India. The prevailing
inequality in availing of MDM is mostly work of space. Therefore, “it matters where you live”. This is because governance issues
really have upper hand in success and failure of MDM in any state or region. Caste has small roles to play in the programme at all
India level. The picture may vary at rural and urban level for which study is not conducted. But class wise variation in availability of
MDM is observed. High income group have low probability of availing MDM in comparison with low income group.

ENDNOTES
[1] Proved in the study of Baru, Dasgupta, Deshpande, Mohanty (2008) on study of three rounds of NFHS. According to the study
proportion of children in the wasted category is alarming and should be recognised as a public health disaster.
Also Khera (2006).
[2] Proved by Dreze and Goyal (2003), Afridi (2005), Si, Anima Rani and Sharma (2008).
[3] Dreze and Goyal (2003), study is based on the CES survey which took place in three states: Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Karnataka.
These were states where MDM schemes had been had been introduced in 2002 as a response to Supreme Court orders.
[4] Indian Express, March 2008
[5] Dreze and Goyal (2003)
[6] Thorat and Lee (2005), study is based on survey conducted by Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (IIDS), among dalit communities of
531 villages in 30 districts in five states Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in 2003.
[7] Mentioned in work of Dreze and Goyal (2003), Khera (2006)
[8] Afridi (2005), case of Education Guarantee Schemes Schools, where there is no school building and classes are held in either cook’s
or teacher’s house. Firewood used in preparing meal create lot of smoke in the classrooms which distracted students from studies.
[9] Mentioned in work of Dreze and Goyal (2003). According to a study conducted by Dreze and Goyal (2003) in Bamhu, the mid-day
meal there is prepared in a soot-covered classroom using a makeshift stove. The cook struggles with inadequate utensils and takes help
from young children for cutting the vegetables and cleaning the rice. According to the teacher, no teaching takes place after lunch as the
classroom turns filthy.
Afridi (2005), case of Education Guarantee Schemes Schools, where there is no school building and classes are held in either cook’s or
teacher’s house. Firewood used in preparing meal creates lot of smoke in the classrooms which distracted students from studies. While
in some schools abandoned room in the school building is used for preparing meals.
[10] Mentioned in the works of Dreze and Goyal (2003), Afridi (2005), Si, Anima Rani and Sharma (2008).
[11] Dreze and Goyal (2003), study is based on the CES survey which took place in three states: Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and
Karnataka. These were states where MDM schemes had been had been introduced in 2002 as a response to Supreme Court orders.
[12] Study of Dreze and Goyal (2003) conducted in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Karnataka concluded that the food supplied were
adequate for young children. According to study Karnataka provided the most varied and nutritious menu while menu of Rajasthan was
same and boring for children. Some poor household in Karnataka termed MDM as ‘festive food’ for their children. States vary on issue
of quality and quantity of MDM. Therefore, greater attention should be given to quality aspect of programme for maintaining
attendance and providing nutrition.
[13] According to Thorat and Lee (2004) and Khera (2006), two types of caste discrimination have been reported: one discrimination
against children on the basis of their caste and second, discrimination against appointment of cooks. Other evidences in support of caste
discrimination are found in works of Dreze and S Vivek (2002), Dreze and Goyal (2003), Thorat and Lee (2005), Khera (2006).
Thorat and Lee (2005), study is based on survey conducted by Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (IIDS), among dalit communities of 531
villages in 30 districts in five states Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in 2003. The study addresses
caste discrimination against Dalits. They find out that MDM for dalit children is hampered as most meals are served in dominant caste
localities. The access for dalit children depends upon caste relations in the village or region. There were also instances of discrimination
in form of segregated seating; different food served to different castes, giving insufficient food to Dalits, not allowed to drink water by
themselves. Also there is strong opposition to dalit cooks. Exclusion is practiced by favoring hiring of dominant caste cooks, sending
children with packed lunches or forbidding children to eat prepared by dalit cooks. Also some dominant caste parents react to hiring
and keeping of a dalit cook by withdrawing their children from schools and sometime admitting them to different school where cook is
not dalit.

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[1] Afridi, F. 2005. Mid-Day Meals in Two States: Comparing the Financial and Institutional Organisation of the Programme.
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[2] Baru, Rama V., Dasgupta, R.,Deshpande, M.,Mohanty, A. 2008. Full Meal or Package Deal. Economic and Political Weekly, June
14.
[3] Dreze, Jean. 2004. Mid-Day Meals and Children's Rights. Economic and Political Weekly, May 8.
[4] Dreze, Jean. 2004. Democracy and Right to Food. Economic and Political Weekly, April 24.
[5] Dreze, Jean and Vivek, S. 2002. Hunger in the Classroom. Food and Nutrition World, sample issue.
[6] Dreze, J and Goyal, A. 2003. The Future of Mid- Day Meals. Economic and Political Weekly, November 1, pp 4673-82.
[7] Indian Express. 2008. Renuka faces House steam over pre-cooked meal scheme’, March 17, New Delhi
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WEBSITE
[17] www.righttofoodindia.org

Annexure

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