The Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme is a centrally administered scheme operational across all parts of India that provides free cooked meals on all school days to children of classes I (age 5 years and older) to VIII (age 14 years and older) in government and local body-managed schools. Nationally rolled out in 1995, the MDM scheme was progressively strengthened by the Food Security Act 2020. The primary purpose of the MDM Scheme, among others, is to improve child nutrition; improve school retention rates; improve attendance rates; and even help to ensure equality before the law and society through meal sharing. In addition, the scheme’s other objectives are convincing more adults or caregivers to bring their children into educational institutions, namely to promote “inclusorship,” being an effort to reduce caste and economic class barriers through the promise of a better meal, e.g., “All students will get the same meal at school.” These are important objectives given the magnitude of child malnutrition rates in India, low learning outcomes in schools, low, involuntary participation rates in formal education, and poor nutrition levels, particularly among children coming from disadvantaged communities.

The meals under the MDM Scheme are prepared in a school kitchen or via a centralised kitchen, where practicable or feasible with local outcome and school kitchen-related infrastructure. Volunteers or helpers, cooks are appointed from local communities and are responsible for preparing and serving meals. The food is distributed on school premises, usually during the lunch break.

Each meal is designed to meet specified calorie and protein norms: 450 calories and 12 grams of protein for primary students, and 700 calories and 20 grams of protein for upper primary students. The scheme is jointly funded by the central and state governments and monitored through district and block-level officials. School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) also participate in the oversight process.

State-Wise Implementation and Variations

All the states and union territories implement the scheme with variations in menu, logistics, and monitoring systems, respecting local dietary habits and resources.

• Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to implement a mid-day meal scheme as early as the 1920s. It remains a high-performing state largely due to the infrastructure in place, regular monitoring, and the inclusion of extra items such as eggs and bananas.
• Kerala focuses on clean kitchens and regular deworming and iron supplements in addition to meals.
• Karnataka works with NGOs such as Akshaya Patra to supply meals through centralised kitchens.
• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana include items like pongal and sambar, adapting meals to local tastes.
• Maharashtra and Gujarat provide jowar, wheat, and rice-based meals depending on the region.
• Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh incorporate local green vegetables and pulses, especially in tribal districts.
• Odisha includes fortified rice and iron supplements in its meal program.
• West Bengal includes rice, dal, and vegetables, and sometimes regional variations like fish in coastal districts.
• Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have a large student population but face issues with consistent implementation and monitoring.
• In arid regions, Rajasthan has added bajra and locally growing pulses to the menus.
• Punjab and Haryana offer a wheat-based meal of roti and a seasonal sabzi.
• Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir provide hot meals for colder regions, including rajma-chawal and khichdi.
• Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Tripura offer meals based on hilly terrain and availability across the state, usually rice and boiled vegetables.
• Goa can monitor its relatively smaller scale and provide local vegetables to a greater extent.

Union Territories implement the scheme strictly at the local school level:

• Delhi Central Kitchen has also been applied in order to get the full extent of reach across public schools.
• Puducherry took the same path as Tamil Nadu, including eggs and milk as well.
• Chandigarh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu also have a central kitchen or a government food administration.
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep use rice, dal, and local fish, if possible.
• Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are implementing with local school authorities rather than only at the school level; heat-retaining food containers recognise the eventual cold weather impact on distribution.

Impact on Lower-Class Households and Child Development

The MDM Scheme plays a significant role in supporting children from low-income households by ensuring they receive at least one nutritious meal daily. This reduces food insecurity and provides financial relief to families that may otherwise struggle to afford lunch for their children. The scheme contributes to improved height, weight, and haemoglobin levels among children, positively affecting their overall physical and cognitive development.

Impact on Education

The scheme has contributed to increased enrollment, better attendance, and reduced dropout rates, especially among girls and children from marginalised communities. Reducing classroom hunger allows children to concentrate better and participate more actively in lessons. It also indirectly promotes hygiene education, as hand-washing and basic sanitation are encouraged alongside meal routines.

Reasons for Differences in State Performance

Some states, such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, perform better due to early adoption, robust infrastructure, political commitment, and community participation. These states have better kitchen facilities, streamlined logistics, and the use of technology for real-time monitoring. In contrast, states with large rural populations and scattered infrastructure, such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, face greater challenges due to funding constraints, lack of trained staff, and irregular inspections.

The upcoming changes to India’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme—now PM-POSHAN—seek to enhance child nutrition and education in India. Certain areas of fortified foods and added nutrition to address micronutrient gaps will continue. There are also plans to expand the program to cover pre-primary school and, possibly, secondary school students.

The program’s mentorship and evaluation systems will be given greater focus in improving the effectiveness of the program. This could be done by tracking in real-time, increasing efficiency, and increasing transparency. There are likely to be greater community initiatives and local self-help group involvement through “Tithi Bhojan” that will increase local ownership and adaptability to region-specific needs.

There are still persistent challenges that need to be resolved. There is also the matter of insufficient funding, operational and systemic inefficiencies, ensuring stringent food hygiene protocols, and rigid societal norms. Addressing these challenges will be crucial to maximising the impact of this transformative program.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme remains a crucial component of India’s education and public health framework. Its success depends not just on central funding but also on state-level execution, local adaptation, and consistent monitoring. As a policy, it directly addresses child hunger, supports universal primary education, and works toward equity in opportunity, particularly for the country’s most vulnerable children.

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