From now on, schools in West Bengal will serve chicken and seasonal fruits for mid-day meals, the government has decided ahead of the upcoming Panchayat elections.
Mid-day meal Menu
Existing Menu
▪ The existing menu includes the following food items:
• Rice
• Potato
• Soybean
• Eggs
New addition to the menu
▪ Chicken and seasonal fruits will be served apart from the existing mid-day meal menu.
Frequency of new adition
▪ For additional nutrition under PM POSHAN Chicken and seasonal fruits will be served:
• Weekly once
• For four months (January to April)
Total Allotted
▪ The state has allocated 372 crore rupees for chicken and fruits in mid-day meals.
▪ An amount of Rs 20 will be spent per week on providing additional nutrition to every student.
Mid-Day Meal Scheme: Key points for exams
▪ The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a school meal program in India designed to improve the nutritional status of school-age children nationwide.
▪ The Midday Meal Scheme was first launched in Tamil Nadu in the early 1960s.
▪ Gujarat was the second state to introduce the scheme in 1984.
▪ A midday meal scheme was introduced in Kerala in 1984.
▪ On 15th August 1995 the Mid-Day Meal Scheme was introduced as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
▪ The mid-day meal scheme has been implemented in the Union Territory of Puducherry under French administration since the 1930s
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. What is called Mid-Day Meal?
Answer: It is a centrally sponsored scheme serving freshly cooked foods to children in government and government-aided schools in India.
Q2. When did Mid-Day Meal start in India?
Answer: The scheme was officially launched in India on 15th August 1995.
Q3. Which program of India is officially known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme?
Answer: National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education
Q4. Which state first started Mid-Day Meal?
Answer: Tamil Nadu
Q5. Who started the first Mid-Day Meal scheme in Tamil Nadu?
Answer: Chief minister K. Kamaraj
