Cash to replace food for 140 mn children

Another 120 mn will need Aadhaar to get free meals

The NDA government is fast moving towards dramatic changes in the two schemes that provide dry rations and hot cooked meals to about 260 million children between the age 0-14 under its flagship Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme.

For about 140 million children in the age group of 0-6 the government has decided to replace the provision of dry ration under ICDS with cash transfers. For another about 120 million children between ages of 6-14 the government has made Aadhaar mandatory to get their daily hot cooked meals under the MDM. A notification was