| dc.description.abstract | With the twin objectives of improving health and education of the poor children, India has
embarked upon an ambitious scheme of providing mid day meals (MDM) in the government and
government-assisted primary schools. The administrative and logistical responsibilities of this
scheme are enormous, and, therefore, offering food stamps or income transfer to targeted recipients
is considered as an alternative. We show that the alternative delivery mechanism is not feasible in
the Indian context, for it may lead to adverse consumption choices by the heads of the targeted
households. We also test whether or not the meals offered through MDM scheme provide sufficient
nutrition, food safety, and convenience and variety to the targeted children. Laboratory results show
that nutritional delivery through the meals is low in comparison to the daily requirements in general,
and, much lower in nutrients such as protein, fat, iron, and iodine in relation to the meal quantity in
particular. Moreover, tests on food grains procured for the scheme showed presence of uric acid
and aflatoxin. The delivery of MDM scheme may be improved by partnering with private entities
and NGOs and by including
chikki, sukhdi,
fortified nutrition bar, and fruit in the weekly menu. This
will not only complement nutritional intake, but offer safety and variety, and, by reducing the dis-
tribution time, may offer more contact time between students and teachers for study purpose. | |
