Parkshala

Nearly two years of elevated food inflation in India is leaving less in the lunch boxes of impoverished children, as government funded school meals suffer cutbacks because of rising prices of vegetables, fruits and pulses.

Why does this happen?

1️⃣ Budget not revised despite high food inflation.

2️⃣ No automatic indexing of funds to inflation

Rigid central allocations, delayed revisions

3️⃣ Administrative burden on schools without resources

✅ Possible Solutions

1️⃣ Index mid-day meal budget to inflation annually

2️⃣ Source ingredients locally via farmers/SHGs

3️⃣ Allow states/districts funding flexibility

4️⃣ Conduct regular nutritional audits & monitoring

5️⃣ Use CSR & community partnerships for meal support

📌 Conclusion

The mid-day meal scheme, meant to nourish 120 million children, suffers because static budgets cannot match rising food costs. To protect children’s nutrition, India must link funding to inflation, empower local sourcing, and ensure transparent monitoring. Only then can this vital programme continue to fight hunger and support education effectively.

[Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Food Inflation, Child Nutrition, Education Policy, School Meals, India Welfare, India, NGO]