In India, Mid-Day Meal Deaths Prompt Increased Scrutiny
October 23, 2013
Police in northern India this week charged a principal with murdering 23 children, who died in July after eating a school lunch contaminated with pesticide. The tragedy has prompted the government to take a second look at the country's mid-day meal program - said to be the largest such scheme in the world.
It’s two o’clock in the afternoon and the courtyard outside this school is packed with students like 12-year old Rahul Bhart,i who know firsthand the importance of the chickpea and flat bread meal being served for lunch.
“If the food is not distributed, all the kids will go hungry,” said Bharti.
His statement is not an exaggeration. The mid-day meal program is a critical component of India's strategy to combat high rates of malnutrition and to boost school enrollment.
Feeding millions in need
While some states have had such programs in place for years, the Supreme Court in 2001 directed all government-run schools to provide cooked meals to primary school children. Nationwide, the program feeds at least 110 million kids in 1.2 million government schools.
Just to give you an idea of the scale of the mid-day meal scheme. At this New Delhi school alone, some 1100 students line up for a free, hot lunch comprised of lentils, grains and vegetables in order to meet nutritional guidelines.
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