A recent survey conducted as part of European Union (EU) funded project on ‘Improving access to information and delivery of public service schemes in remote and backward districts of NorthEast (NE) states of India’ has found increase in school attendance due to Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme in Wokha district.
Around 75% of households surveyed in Wokha district believed there was an increase in school attendance due to the MDM scheme while more than 95% of the respondents claimed that their children were attending school. Carried out in the later part of 2015, the survey, which covered 28 villages from two blocks of Wokha district, also found that all mothers had participated in the ‘Mother Watch’ programme even though they claimed that the same had limited impact.
This EU-funded project covers seven backward districts across five NE states, namely, Goalpara and Cachar in Assam, Ri-Bhoi in Meghalaya, Churachandpur and Chandel in Manipur, Lawngtlai in Mizoram, and Wokha in Nagaland.
The project is being implemented by Paris-based French NGO Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) along with Guwahati-based North East India Committee on Relief and Development (NEICORD) which in partnership with local NGO Team Metamorphosis (TM) is responsible for field implementation, Bangalore-based Public Affairs Center (PAC) which is tasked with the research component, and the Guwahati-based Nanda Talukdar Foundation (NTF) as its media advocacy component.
The project seeks to achieve three main results, namely, to encourage demand for improved service delivery, improved access to and quality of public services particularly for the most marginalized and women, and to enhance transparency of service providers for 10 central government flagship schemes: IAY, JSSK, ICDS, MDM, MGNREGA, RKVY, NBA/TSC, RGGVY, NSAP, and TPDS.
The survey also found that the main reason for leftovers/wastage across the district was due to taste even as 30% of the respondents claimed that the food was cooked outside the school premises. National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, commonly known as Mid Day Meal Scheme, was launched as a centrally sponsored scheme on August 15, 1995 with an objective of ‘Universalization of primary education by increasing enrolment, retention and attendance and simultaneously impacting on nutrition of students in primary classes.’
The revised objectives of MDM scheme include: to boost Universalization of primary education (classes 1-5) by improving enrolment, attendance, retention and learning levels of children especially those belonging to disadvantage sections; to improve nutritional status of students of primary stage; and to provide nutritional support to students of primary stage in drought affected areas during summer vacation also.
Under MDM scheme, students of classes I-V studying in government/local body aided schools and central government run schools are entitled to receive a meal with nutritional value of 450 calories and 12 grams of protein, while Upper Primary students are entitled to a meal with nutritional value of 700 calories and 20 grams of protein per student per school day. In addition to rice/chapattis, meals could include pulses, vegetables, etc., depending on local availability.
There is also a provision for cost of cooking and cost for engaging a cook/assistant @ Rs.1000/- per month and provision of meals during summer vacation in drought affected areas.