Demand Grows for Increased Midday Meal Scheme Funding

Swift Summary

• Schoolteachers’ organisations have protested against headteachers managing the financial burden of the midday meal scheme in Kerala.
• ₹6.78 allocated for lower primary school food material costs is deemed insufficient to adhere to the revised, nutrient-focused menu.
• Kerala Pradesh School Teachers’ Association (KPSTA) highlighted price discrepancies for essentials like milk, coconut oil, and vegetables, making it impractical to meet menu requirements with current funds.
• Suggestions from KPSTA include increasing funding or transferring midday meal management to agencies that can handle it more efficiently within budget constraints.
• the expert committee recommending a nutrient-rich menu did not propose increasing budgets alongside dietary changes. Fundraising efforts by some schools are not universally feasible across institutions.
• The Kerala Government Primary School Headmasters’ Association called for material costs to be adjusted based on inflation rates tracked by relevant state departments.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The ongoing dispute underscores a critical challenge in balancing policy changes with resource allocation within public welfare schemes like the midday meal program in Kerala.While efforts to introduce a nutrient-rich menu align with improving student health outcomes, underfunding renders these intentions impractical without supplementary measures such as increased financial support or alternative management strategies via external agencies. Price inflation further compounds operational difficulties, as static allocations fail to account for rising food costs.

For policymakers in India and other states implementing similar programs nationwide, this situation could serve as an instructive case study on linking budgetary provisions closely with socioeconomic factors like market pricing and institutional capabilities before enforcing reforms.

Read More: