OBJECTIVES AND OPERATIONS

OF NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMS IN

INDIA
 MID DAY MEAL

PROGRAMME(MDM)
The Mid-Day 'Meal Programme is one of the most important

ongoing feeding programmes organized by the Department of

Education not only to improve nutritional status of school.

children but also to attract poor children to school. The reason

why the MDM programme was started was that school age

children are in a phase of rapid growth and development.

Their nutritional needs are considerable. However, children,

particularly from poor families, do not get enough food to eat.

Their home diets are often inadequate.

Many, especially in rural areas, come to school partly
hungry and some even on empty stomach, trekking long
distances. Under such circumstances, they are unable to
concentrate on the studies and benefit from the
education. Hence, providing a supplement in school
would complement the home diet and sustain the interest
of children in learning so that dropout rates are lowered
and school attendance improves.
OBJECTIVES
With the rationale described above,the MDM was
launched to fulfill the following objectives:

•To improve the nutritional status and the attentiveness

of school children attending primary sections.

• To improve school attendance on one hand and to

reduce dropout rates on the other hand

•To foster sound social behaviour and inculcate good

food and health habits in children.
TARGET GROUP

The main beneficiaries of the programme

are school children between 6-11 years of

age attending elementar/ primary

schools.
PROGRAMME COMPONENT
The major component of the MDM programme is food

supplementation. The meal / food supplement distributed as part of

the programme provides roughly 300 kcal and 8-12g protein per child

per day. The food supplements provided through the programme

are varied. Ready-to-eat food like fruit bread, etc., are provided or

the raw ingredients are cooked into "upma" or "khichri" or some

other forms, which are convenient to eat. The nutrition programme

was conceived for inculcating the qualities of discipline,

comradeship, good food and healthy habits and knowledge about

nutrition through the provision of nutritious meal daily.

PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
The programme is operated by the Department of

Education. The feeding is usually carried out within the

school premises. The school teacher is responsible for the

preparation and distribution of food and maintenance of

records such as food stock register, health cards and

attendance register relevant to the programme. A helper is

appointed to assist the teacher in organising the feeding.

Special budgetary provisions are made to meet the cost of

fuel, condiments and other incidentals.

SPECIAL NUTRITION PROGRAMME

(SNP)
The Special Nutrition Programme was launched by the Central

Social Welfare Board (CSWD), in 1970-71. The aim of the

programme was to provide supplementary nutrition to

children, pregnant women and nursing mothers belonging to

the weaker sections of the society. In

1970-71, it was envisaged that nutritious food would be

supplied to 6.8 lakh children in the age group 0-3 years.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the programme is to

improve the, nutritional of preschool

children, pregnant and lactating mothers of

poor socio-economic groups in urban slums,

tribal areas and drought prone rural areas.

BENEFICIARIES-

The programme caters to :

1. Preschool children
2. Pregnant and lactating mothers.
The beneficiaries are selected on the basis of

their socio-economic groups. The pregnant

mother in the last trimester and lactating

mothers during the first four months are

given priority. The malnourished children are

also given priority.

ACTIVITIES-
The activities of the programme include:

to provide supplementary nutrition.

to provide health care services including supply

of Vitamin A solution and iron and folic acid

tablets.
THE SUPPLEMENTARY NUTRITION IS

PROVIDED TO CHILDREN IN 6-72 MONTHS,

TO PROVIDE 300 CALORIES AND LOG

PROTEIN PER CHILD PER DAY. THE

SEVERELY MALNOURISHED CHILDREN ARE

PROVIDED 600 CALORIES AND 20G

PROTEIN/DAY. IRON AND FOLIC ACID

TABLETS AND VITAMIN A SOLUTION ARE

ALSO PROVIDED.
 The pregnant and lactating mothers receive

supplementary nutrition containing 600 calories

and 20g protein per day. Iron and folic acid

tablets are also provided. The cost of

supplementary nutrition is same as in the ICDS

scheme.
 ORAGANISTAION-
The programme is implemented through a
network of balwadis, which are located at the
village/community level. The balwadi worker
and the helper is most peripheral functionaries
implementing the scheme.