The second pandemic year saw a huge jump in enrolment of students in government schools, out of which around 4.88 lakh students, were left out of the midday meal. According to an IE report, a government document shows that due to shortage of foodgrains, around 27% of students were not part of the midday meal scheme during 2021-22.
Programme Approval Board (PAB), which decides the work plan and budget for the midday meal scheme annually, had budgeted for 6.45 lakh children for primary classes and 6.39 lakh for upper primary (VI-VIII) level in Delhi for 2021-22.
According to the minutes of a PAB meeting, the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCT) informed that only 5,23,572 children were covered under the mid-day meal due to an increase in enrollment and a shortage of food grains. The meeting was held on 9th May 2022 which was attended by Union School Education Secretary Anita Karwal and the Delhi government’s Director, Education, Himanshu Gupta among others.
PAB raised concern over the issue of submitting the information very late and said the GNCT should have shared the number of additional children after 2nd quarter of FY 2021-22.
The midday meal or PM-POSHAN scheme covers government and government-aided school students of classes I-VIII, as well as pre-primary classes. During the pandemic, the food security allowance was continued through the distribution of dry ration kits.