C.

PRAVEEN
BA0140041

MID DAY MEAL SCHEME IN TAMIL NADU

SYNOPSIS:

The researcher doing project on the Mid-Day Meal scheme was launched by the
Government of India with the aim of boosting universalization of primary education
and to enhance education especially among children belonging to poor and
downtrodden sections of the society.
The researcher mainly focuses on how it was introduced and what the aim of this
scheme. In 1962 it introduced by K.Kamaraj chief minister of Tamil Nadu in Chennai
and later in Tamil Nadu. And in 1982 the chief minister M.G.Ramachandran upgraded
this scheme. It is also visualized that such a scheme would promote friendship and
feeling of brotherhood among the children belonging to different castes, colour and
creed.
Until 2001, due to dry rations in most states, there was no student turn out to school.
Things began to change after 2001 when Supreme Court in its order in Civil Liberties
v. Union of India & others (right to food case) directed all states to provide cooked
meals to all primary school children. How the bill was passed in Tamil Nadu and
which political party took initiative and how this scheme was improved is going to be
discusses in this project.
Despite all achievements, there are many problems in the implementation of this
scheme. A major drawback found in this scheme is spending teaching time;
insufficient basic infrastructure of schools. Parents, Panchayats and local authorities
are not interested in this scheme. Such place, access to MDMs for Dalit children is
troubled by the fact that the meals are served primarily in dalit caste hamlets. There
are also instances of discrimination. But this scheme still exists with some changes in
the state government.