Tamil Nadu is a pioneering State which introduced the Nutritious Meal program during the year 1982. The objective was to enhance the enrolment of students and retain the attendance in schools and simultaneously to improve the nutritional levels among children. A Child who is hungry or ill cannot concentrate in his/her studies with full attention. Due to this factor a free hot cooked lunch is being provided to children in Primary and Upper Primary classes up to Tenth Standard in Government, Government aided Schools, Special Training Centres, Madarasas and Maktabs supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
-
To maximize enrollment and reduce school dropout rates with a view to universalize elementary education.
-
To provide nutrition to the under fed and under nourished children.
-
To encourage children from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend school regularly and to help them in attaining formal education.
-
To empower women by offering employment opportunities
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE SCHEME
i) Primary School children in the age group of 5-9 years and Upper Primary School children in the age group of 10-15 years are provided with hot cooked nutritious variety meals inside the school campus itself, for five days a week for a total of 220 days in a year.
ii) The children enrolled under National Child Labour Project Special Schools in 15 Districts are also provided with hot cooked nutritious variety meals for 312 days in a year.
iii) Foodgrains (rice) @ 100 gm per child per school day for primary children (1st std to 5th std) and @ 150 gm for upper primary (6th std to 10th std) is provided.
iv) Eggs are served to all children from 1st std to 10th std on all 5 working days. Colouring scheme for eggs for each day of the week, with impression “TamilNadu Arasu” (Tamilnadu Government) to prevent pilferage and staleness.
v) Banana weighing 100 gms is provided for non egg eating children
vi) 20 gms of Black Bengal gram / Green gram is provided to children taking into consideration the present day protein, vitamins and calorific needs of the children.
viii) 20 gms of boiled potatoes on all Fridays to supplement carbohydrates.
ix) In order to address iodine and iron deficiency among children and as a part of health intervention programme, Double Fortified Salt is used for cooking which prevents iodine deficiency in children thereby preventing goitre. Double fortified Oil with Vitamin A & Vitamin D is being used daily in Noon meal preparation
x) During important occasions, Sweet Pongal is served to children by using Jaggery and Ghee.
Introduction of Variety Meals
As a special nutritional intervention 13 kinds of variety menu with 4 different kinds of egg masalas were introduced during the year 2013 in one pilot block of each district. After ascertaining the success of this scheme, the variety meals programme has been extended to the rest of the blocks in all Districts from 15.8.2014. Besides the fixed variety menu, the noon meal employees are allowed and encouraged to use the locally available iron rich vegetables like drumstick leaves, spinach leaves, Green leafy vegetables in the midday meals according to the taste and desire of the children to reduce the prevalence of anaemia.
|
First and Third Week |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Days |
Second and Fourth Week |
|
|
Monday |
Vegetable Biriyani with Pepper Egg |
Sambar Sadham (Bisibelabath) with Onion Tomato Masala Egg. |
|
Tuesday |
Black Bengal Gram Pulav with Tomato Masala Egg. |
Mixed Meal Maker with Vegetable Rice and Pepper Egg |
|
Wednesday |
Tomato Rice with Pepper Egg |
Tamarind Rice with Tomato Masala Egg |
|
Thursday |
Rice, Sambar and Boiled Egg |
Lemon Rice, Sundal and Tomato Egg |
|
Friday |
Curry Leaf Rice / Keerai Sadham with Masala Egg and Chilly Fried Potato. |
Rice, Sambar and Boiled Egg with Fried Potato. |
Nutritional Norms
Upper Primary
|
Sl. No |
Stage |
GOI Norms |
State Govt Provision |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Calories (In Kcl) |
Protein (In gms) |
Calories (In Kcl) |
Protein (In gms) |
|||
|
1 |
Primary |
450 |
12 |
557 |
18.92 |
|
|
2 |
700 |
20 |
735 |
22.77 |
||
TRAINING
All Noon Meal Employees were given with training for the preparation of variety meals by 20 expert Chefs from Chennai headed by Chef. Damodaran. In vernacular language booklets have been printed and distributed to the Noon Meal Employees. One day trainig to Cook cum Helpers includes various topics as food safety measures, personal hygiene, menu preparation, motivation etc.. which are handled by Food Safety Officers, Medical Officars, Fire Safety Officers, LPG agencies and other Department Officers.
FOOD GRAIN MANAGEMENT
Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation supplies rice, dhal, oil and salt at the doorsteps of the Noon Meal Centers in order to ensure quality and quantity.
45 days buffer stock are maintained at NMC level to provide meal without any delay.
FUND FLOW MECHANISM
The Noon Meal Organizers are permitted to purchase vegetables and condiments locally using the funds credited as advance grant into their bank account through Electronic Clearance System (ECS).
Government of India provides cooking cost (excluding the labour and administrative charges).However, the State Government provides more than the mandatory share of 40% so as to provide nutritious food to children.
|
Class |
MDM Norms (60:40) |
Centre 60% |
State 40% |
Additional State contribution |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Primary (1-5 Std) |
4.97 |
2.98 |
1.99 |
3.57 |
8.54 |
|
Upper Primary |
7.45 |
4.47 |
2.98 |
1.2 |
8.65 |
|
(6-8 Std) |
|||||
|
9th & 10th Std |
100% contribution by State Government |
||||
INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES
CONSTRUCTION OF KITCHEN-CUM-STORES
The amount for the construction of Kitchen Cum Stores is provided to the the District Collectors and disbursed to DRDA for carrying out the work. The type design and schedule rate for construction of Kitchen Cum Stores is fixed every year by the Commissioner of Rural Development Department.
MODERNISATION OF NOON MEAL CENTRES
In order to create ‘smoke free atmosphere’ in the Noon Meal Centres, Modernisation of Noon Meal Centres, have been taken up and LPG connection is provided to the centres exclusively out of State Funds.
KITCHEN DEVICES
Noon Meal Centres are provided with sufficient kitchen devices like Aluminium Dabara with lid, Stainless steel karandi, Indolium kadai etc., to facilitate cooking. Stainless Steel Plates and Tumblers are provided to the Noon Meal Beneficiaries both out of State and Central funds.
To facilitate the cooking process involved in the variety meals, all the Noon Meal Centres have been provided with mixies.
Testing of Food Sample:
500 gms of cooked food is collected in food safety container by Food Safety Officers and ensures that the sample reaches the lab within 2 hours. Monthly 2 to 3 samples are drawn randomly from various block nutritious meal centre and testing done only at Government Food testing labs.
Ensuring Implementation of Guidelines and Quality of Food:
The School Headmasters, Block Development Officers, Block Food Safety Officers are inspecting the Noon Meal Centres regularly and recording their observations in the Inspection registers maintained at each centre. A toll free number-1800-425-8971 has been publicised and any complaint received is attended immediately by District authorities and online complaints are also registered under www,middaymeal.tn.gov.in which also provides more information about the scheme.
Information Boards
Under contingency plan necessary important phone numbers have been put up in all Noon Meal Centres.
-
In each Noon Meal Centre an Organiser, one cook and one cook assistant are employed for the implementation of the scheme. The Noon Meal Employees are provided with Special Time Scale of Pay. Their salary is credited to the respective employees bank account through ECS.
-
In addition they are also provided with Festival Advance.
-
All retired Noon Meal Employees are provided with a monthly pension of Rs. 1500/-.
-
During retirement the organizer is given with Rs. 60,000/- and Cook & Cook Assistant with Rs. 25,000/- as lumpsum payment. In addition a sum of Rs. 10,000/- is provided as Special Provident Fund.
-
Special test is conducted by Teachers Recruitment Board for qualified organizers and are appointed as Teachers in Schools.
-
All categories of NMC staff are enrolled in PF Scheme. Allotment of account numbers by the Government Data centre is in progress.
-
The legal heir of the Noon Meal employee who dies while in service is provided employment on compassionate grounds.
State Level Steering cum Monitoring committee Meeting
-
Once in six months, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu takes up the review of every scheme in which the implementation of noon meal programme is also monitored.
-
There is a monitoring cell functioning at Secretariat headed by Secretary to Government and assisted by Deputy Secretary and his team. The implementation of the scheme is monitored by conducting review meetings once in 15 days by Secretary to Government.
-
Review meeting to watch the progress of expenditure is also being conducted by the Planning Development Department with the officials of the Secretariat and Directorate of Social Welfare.
-
In the Directorate also there is a monitoring cell headed by the Director of Social Welfare assisted by Joint Director (NMP) and team. So as at Districts, the scheme is being monitored by the District Collectors. Each District / Block has been provided with pucca management structure to monitor the programme at different levels.
.