Mid Day Meal

Rising food prices cuts lunch options for poor school kids in India: Poll

A case in point is 8-year old Ranjit Nayak, who lives in Ghugudipada village, 150 kilometres from Bhubaneshwar, the capital city of the eastern Indian state of Odisha

Pulses import jumps 90% in FY24 to 4.7 mn tonnes to meet domestic demand

India's import of pulses rose 90 per cent annually to 47.38 lakh tonnes during 2023-24 to meet domestic demand, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday. "All India production of pulses has increased from 163.23 lakh tonnes during 2015-16 to 244.93 lakh tonnes during 2023-24 (as per 3rd Advance Estimates)," the Minister of State for Agriculture Ram Nath Thakur said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. In 2021-22, import of pulses stood at 26.99 lakh tonnes, while exports were at 3.87 lakh tonnes. During 2022-23, imports of pulses stood at 24.96 lakh tonnes, while exports were 7.62 lakh tonnes. In 2023-24, the imports of pulses were 47.38 lakh tonnes and exports stood at 5.94 lakh tonnes. "During the last ten years i.e. 2014-15 to 2023-24 (as per 3rd Advance Estimates), total pulses and oilseeds production has increased by 43 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively," Thakur said. In reply to a separate question, the minister said the government has substantially enhanced the b

ASHA, mid-day meal workers on poll duty to get Rs 200 a day: Punjab CEO

ASHA and mid-day meal workers who are engaged in election duties will receive an honorarium of Rs 200 a day, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C said on Wednesday. All 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will go to polls on June 1 in the seventh and last phase of the general elections. In a statement, Sibin said mid-day meal workers will be tasked with preparing food for polling parties. In addition, considering the anticipated hot weather conditions during polling day on June 1, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) will be stationed at polling booths to provide immediate assistance to polling staff or voters experiencing health issues, he said. The CEO said ASHA workers will also be compensated at the rate of Rs 200 a day. He said a directive has been issued to all district election officers-cum-deputy commissioners of Punjab for the implementation of this honorarium scheme for mid-day meal and ASHA workers.

Mumbai: 16 students fall ill after consuming mid-day meal at BMC-run school

The condition of the children is stable, he said

50 govt school students in Bihar fall ill after having mid-day meal

The condition of all the children is stable, an official said

70 students taken ill after consuming mid-day meal in Delhi govt school

Around 70 students were on Friday hospitalised after allegedly having a mid-day meal in a government school in southwest Delhi's Dabri area, officials said. The Delhi government has issued a show cause notice to the mid-day meal provider, they said. All the children were in a stable condition, a Delhi government official said, adding that the mid-day meal providers have been warned to ensure proper food was provided to the school children. "Anyone found guilty in the incident will not be spared," the official said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C said around 6 pm, a PCR call was received at Sagarpur police station stating that around 70 boys of Class VI to VIII reported vomiting after having a mid-day meal in Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya School, Durgapark in Sagarpur. The students were shifted to DDU Hospital and Dada Dev Hospital, Dabri. The school authorities stated that after the mid-day meal, students were given soya Juice which caused stomach pain and vomiting,

Mid-day meal to millions of students in T'gana affected by workers' strike

The ongoing strike by over 54,000 MDM workers seeking fulfillment of their demands immediately, continues to affect Mid-Day Meal supply to lakhs of school students in Telangana. The strike enters its third day on Wednesday. A senior official of the Education Department said the District Education Officers (DEO) were asked to make alternate arrangements to ensure food supply to the students is not affected and hoped that the strike would end in a day or two. MDM workers have been demanding the state government to clear the pending bills and also implement the hike in remuneration immediately, among other demands. The state government in February this year issued an order increasing the honorarium amount to Rs 3,000 from the existing Rs 1,000. However the MDL workers allege that they are yet to get the enhanced payment. "There are 23 lakh students studying in government, Zilla parishad and aided schools and out of which about 75-80 per cent consume mid-day meals in schools. The DEOs

NHRC sends notice to chief secretary after kids fall ill from mid-day meal

NHRC has issued a notice to Bihar Chief Secretary Aamir Subhani in connection with 150 school children who fell ill after consuming mid-day meals in West Champaran district on June 1

Chamaeleon in mid-day meal: 45 pupils fall sick, 5 critical in Bihar

The incident occurred at government middle school located in Thudi village under Bhimpur police station in the district

100 students fall sick after snake found in mid-day meal in Bihar's Araria

Around 100 students at a government school in Bihar's Araria district fell sick after consuming a mid-day meal in which a dead snake was found on Saturday

Chapatis, khichdi made of bajra may soon be on mid-day meal menu in UP

Students of government schools in Uttar Pradesh may soon be served millets in the mid-day meals at least once a week to provide them with better nutrition. The year 2023 has been designated as the 'International Year of Millets' after a proposal for the same was brought forward by the Government of India and endorsed by members of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) Governing Bodies, as well as by the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. Director General School Education in Uttar Pradesh Vijay Kiran Anand said, "We will soon have a meeting with Union government officials regarding the introduction of millets in mid-day meals." The Mid Day Meal Authority of Uttar Pradesh, responsible for providing mid-day meals in government and aided schools from class 1 to 8, has proposed to the Union government that students in 1.42 lakh schools across the state be served a millet-based meal. According to the plan, students will either be served chapatis or khichdi made of bajra in mid-da

Mid-day meal scheme in West Bengal now under central govt's scanner

A field inspection team from the Union Education Ministry will be arriving in the state to review the implementation of the scheme

Centre forms panel to review implementation of PM POSHAN scheme in Bengal

The joint review mission comprises nutrition experts and officers from the Centre and the state government

PMK warns Tamil Nadu govt against closing down of noon meal centres

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has warned the state government against shutting down of noon meal centres that provide food to the school students

FSSAI directs authorities to make sure mid-day meal suppliers have licence

The letter by FSSAI stated that cook cum helpers are to be trained under the Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTaC) scheme and the funds can be utilised from the states.

Chhattisgarh govt may serve millets in mid-day meals, state-run ashrams

Baghel also called for preparing an action plan for promoting millet-based industries after discussing with the departments concerned

Centre asks States, UTs to conduct social audit for mid-day meal scheme

The social audit is important in detecting irregularities like siphoning of funds and helps the authorities to get feedback from the local community, on the mid-day meal scheme

Who will feed UP's mid-day meal cooks? They have not been paid since March

Over 90% of them are women who are too poor to afford even a single meal

Who will feed UP's mid-day meal cooks? They have not been paid since March

Over 90% of them are women who are too poor to afford even a single meal

India saves 2 mn kids from dying, but 4 mn people go below nourishment line

Fall in GHI score is not absolute, but relative to other countries