Q. Consider the following statements about Mid Day Meal Scheme:
1. The nodal ministry is Ministry of Education.
2. It covers students enrolled in government schools from Class 1 to 5.
Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

[A] 1 only

[B] 2 only

[C] Both 1 and 2

[D] Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: B
Notes:

Explanation:

Mid Day Meal Scheme

  • Historical Background: The roots of the Mid Day Meal Scheme can be traced back to the pre-independence era when a midday meal programme was introduced in the 1920s by the erstwhile Madras Municipal Corporation
  • In post-Independence India, Tamil Nadu was the first state to roll out a school feeding scheme in 1956.
  • In 1984, Kerala became the second state in the country to have a school lunch programme.Over the next few years, many other states launched their own versions of the scheme and finally in 1995, the Centre launched the Mid Day Meal Scheme.

Status of the scheme today:

  • The Mid Day Meal Scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. It has been renamed as PM Poshan Shakti Nirman or PM Poshan in 2021.
  • Currently, the scheme covers children across Classes 1 to 8 (age group 6 to 14) in government and government-aided schools and those run by local bodies.
  • Moreover, this Mid Day Meal is not just a scheme but a legal entitlement of all school-going children in primary and upper primary classes, through the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 as well as the Supreme Court’s ruling in People’s Union of Civil Liberties vs Union of India and Others(2001).
  • The Nodal ministry for the scheme is Ministry of Education.

Source: ForumIAS