Family Impact Analysis of Mid-day Meal (MDM) Scheme in India with Special Focus on Child Education and Nutrition

Abstract

The school lunch programme in India was first implemented in 1925 by the Madras Municipal Corporation for disadvantaged children. At present, the school lunch programme in India is known as mid-day meal (MDM) scheme. It was started with an objective to enhance enrolment, retention and attendance rates, and simultaneously improve nutritional levels among children. MDM not only impacts the well-being of each child but also affects the overall prosperity of families. Hence, a family impact analysis of the MDM scheme of India would be instrumental in charting out the future directions of this programme. For this study, no primary research has been carried out, rather this paper is based on secondary literature pertaining to MDM with relation to child nutrition and education. The checklist developed by the Family Criteria (Ad Hoc) Task Force of the Consortium of Family Organizations (COFO) for assessing the intended and unintended impact of public policies, proposals and social programmes on families is used. This checklist, which was later revised by the Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars, outlines six principles to guide analyses of the family supportiveness of policies and programmes: (1) family support and responsibilities, (2) family membership and stability, (3) family involvement and interdependence, (4) family partnership and empowerment, (5) family diversity and (6) support of vulnerable families. There are a good number of intended consequences of MDM scheme which include enrolment, retention, attendance, eradication of school hunger, family stability, improvement of malnutrition, employment to women of disadvantaged communities, improvement of girl child education, etc. However, it also has some unintended consequences, including food contamination or food poisoning. Social discrimination can also be seen as an intended or unintended consequence of MDM.