The Mid-Day Meal Scheme has been renamed as ‘PM Poshan Shakti’ as the Centre pushes for child nutrition in the country, with the addition of around 24 lakh students from the pre-primary government and government-aided schools. The mid-day meal plan at present provides hot cooked food to students from Class 1 to 8 in all 11.20 lakh government and government-aided schools, to all nearly 11.80 crore children.
Under the PM Poshan scheme, around 24 lakh more students of pre-primary classes under ICDS will be covered. The government had opened ‘Balvatikas’ pre-schools attached to ‘anganwadis’.
According to experts, the PM Poshan scheme is similar to the earlier mid-day meal in terms of financing and structure with few interventions. However, they say the new scheme needs more funds, implementation of breakfast as promised in the new National Education Policy, 2020 among other things such as a raise in the honorarium of cooks and helpers.
Renaming Without Resources
The ‘PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme’, which was announced by education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday, will be launched initially for five years (2021-22 to 2025-26).
The Cabinet will bear Rs 54,061.73 crore of the total estimated cost of Rs 1.3 lakh and states will pay around Rs 31,733.17 crore. The central government will bear the additional cost of Rs 45,000 crore on food grains.
Protiva Kundu, researcher at the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, who leads research on government financing of education, pointed out there was hardly any change in fund allocation.
The scheme in its financing structure remains the same as the resource-sharing pattern between the Centre and states is as before 60:40 for the general category states and 90:10 for special category states.
“But there are two new interventions — extension of meals for pre-primary section children and supplementary nutrition in aspirational districts. These two interventions have resource implications,” said Kundu.
Allocations by Centre Decline
A popular account on government policies in the social sector, Road Scholarz, quoted budget analysis from NC Saxena on the slash in the budget for MDM scheme since 2014. How there has been a drop from Rs 18,391 crore in 2014-15 (BE) to Rs 8,754 crore in 2015-16 (BE). Posted on Twitter, “In real terms, the allocation for midday meals in this year’s budget is almost 40% lower than seven years ago,” sic.
Kundu further says, “If we look at the allocation by the Centre, which is Rs 54,061 crore for 5 years, it translates to Rs 10,812 crore per year. Even in 2021-22, the Union government’s allocation was Rs 11,500 crore. So, for the coming years given the plan of expansion there is neither any additional budget allocated nor there any plan for making the budget inflation indexed.”
“If the Union government allocation is low, then to cater more beneficiaries than before, states need to make higher allocation over the stipulated 40% matching share,” said Kundu.
DBT to School Helpers for Accountability
Pradhan pointed out that funds would be sent directly to schools and not through local authorities, and states will be encouraged to ensure accountability.
Experts like Kundu say this process may work to some extent in improving “transparency but again that depends on how digitally equipped we are”.
Pradhan ruled out the possibility of sending funds directly to the children or their family because food works as an incentive to bring them to school.
As reported earlier in News18.com, “Several other changes have been incorporated into the scheme, including the involvement of local women, encouraging gardening, cooking competition, focusing on ensuring micro-nutrients for school children especially anaemic children.”
Under the scheme, cooking competitions will be encouraged at all levels right from the village level to the national level to promote ethnic cuisines and innovative menus based on locally available ingredients.
No Raise for Cooks and Helps
Kundu pointed out, “The new scheme is largely the renaming of MDM (Mid-Day Meal). There is no change in the financial norms in terms of cooking cost or honorarium to cook and helpers.”
Protests have reportedly taken place in several states with cooks and helpers demanding a hike. In Assam, All Assam Primary and Upper Primary School Mid-Day Meal Cook and Helper Association protested demanding a raise in the monthly salary from Rs 1,500 to Rs 9,600.
Around 26 lakh cooks and helpers in the country at present receive Rs 1,500 as monthly pay and there have been complaints of non-payment as well.
NEP’s Breakfast Push Not in the Scheme
Pradhan said breakfast as recommended in NEP will not be implemented yet. According to sources in the education ministry, more funds will be needed to include breakfast in the scheme but it will be rolled out in the future.
The NEP states: “Research shows that the morning hours after a nutritious breakfast can be particularly productive for the study of cognitively more demanding subjects and hence these hours may be leveraged by providing a simple but energising breakfast in addition to mid-day meals.”
Kundu pointed out NEP’s recommendation introducing the new provision of breakfast needs funds.
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