Meeting of the Empowered Committee on Mid Day Meal Scheme

Report by India Education bureau, New Delhi: The meeting of the Empowered Committee under the Chairpersonship of the Minister of Human Resource Development Smt. Smriti Irani, for the Mid Day Meal Scheme was held today.

 Representatives of State Governments, Food and Nutrition experts and senior officers of the Central Government participated in the meeting. The Committee reviewed the implementation of the Mid Day Meal Scheme and decided to strengthen the monitoring system of the Mid Day Meal Scheme as well as to ensure community participation in the execution of the Scheme. 

Two major decisions were taken by the committee today. 

(i) To introduce the practice of Tithi Bhojan across the country, based on its success in Gujarat where community members contribute to improve quality of the school mid day meals on a happy occasion / event in the family be it a birthday, festival etc. 

(ii) In order to ensure quality of the meals and appropriate nutrition standards under the Mid Day Meal Scheme, it was decided to introduce a protocol for standards in food safety and testing - to be rolled out in the coming New Year.