Small primary school kitchen in Sitapur stirs large pot of dal
(MENAFN) In a small primary school kitchen in Sitapur, 80km from Lucknow, Sunita Devi, 45, stirs a large pot of dal, a task she has done for over a decade. Despite the steam fogging her glasses, her hands move skillfully and steadily. Sunita is one of nearly 2.5 million women across India who are the backbone of the Midday Meal Scheme, now known as Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-POSHAN), which provides meals to 120 million children across 1.1 million schools nationwide.
The program traces its origins back to 1925, when it was first introduced for underprivileged children in Madras (now Chennai). In the mid-1980s, states like Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu started implementing their own cooked meal programs. A significant turning point came on August 15, 1995, when the Indian government launched the National Program of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, which became a nationwide initiative by 1997-98.
In 2001, the Supreme Court mandated that all state governments and union territories implement the scheme, ensuring that every child in government and government-aided schools received at least 300 kilocalories and 8-12 grams of protein per day, for a minimum of 200 school days each year. The program's reach was further expanded in 2002 to cover children in education centers located in areas without government schools.
By 2003, most Indian states were providing hot, cooked meals, and by 2006, the program was feeding about 120 million students, making it the world’s largest school meal program.
According to the Indian NGO Child Rights and You (CRY), the Midday Meal Scheme has significantly improved children's health and education. The program has helped reduce malnutrition, boosted academic performance, and increased school enrollment rates, particularly among girls, which has helped address gender disparities in education.
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