Mid-day Scheme and Punjab

ONE of the most innovative schemes for schoolchildren has been the mid-day meal programme. The National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE), as this scheme is now formally known as, had its origin in Tamil Nadu, but the Central Government adopted it and now the programme runs all over India. NP-NSPE has been successful in improving the nutritional status of children; encouraging poor children belonging to disadvantaged sections to attend school more regularly; and even in providing nutritional support to children of primary stage in drought-affected areas during summer vacations.

Schools in Punjab have been operating under various handicaps, including lack of teachers, insufficient infrastructure, absentee teachers, and now, this additional issue has come to light. Punjab receives food grains from the Centre under the National Nutritional Programme for the mid-day meal scheme. Less than required food grains have been allocated to government or aided schools because, according to some officials, they failed to provide the required data regarding students. On the other hand, school managements blame delay in disbursal of payments for the problem. No matter what the issue, it is the school students who are suffering. Immediate steps must be taken to sort out the issue and provide good nutritional food to them under the mid-day meal scheme. The success of the programme depends on its implementation, and it is here that various kinds of bureaucratic and practical hurdles rob schoolchildren of their right.
At a broader level, the mid-day mess is just another indication of low priority that education, especially school education, has in Punjab. Unfortunately, a vital sector like education receives short shrift at the hands of politicians, with disastrous results. The major share of responsibility of preparing young children to be productive citizens of our country falls on government schools. It is, indeed, a matter of concern that even this basic facility meant for the welfare of students does not reach them.