The survey found that the Government Order 40 issued to implement scheme lacking in clarity on expenses, quantity of food to be served to each student, allocation per student, and nutrition content among others.
Published Mar 12, 2025 | 9:44 AM ⚊ Updated Mar 12, 2025 | 9:44 AM
Sanna Biyyam, Big Dreams: Andhra Pradesh’s bold step to transform mid-day meals
Synopsis: The survey, conducted between 15 February and 7 March 2025, found several issues with the government’s initiative to provide nutritious meals to intermediate students.
A survey has found several lacunae in Andhra Pradesh’s Dokka Seethamma Mid-Day Meal Scheme, envisioned as a robust initiative to provide nutritious meals to intermediate students.
People’s Pulse, which conducted the survey, found issues ranging from inadequate funding and poor meal quality to lack of consistent monitoring and community involvement, despite the government’s intentions and extensive framework.
The survey indicated that students, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders are dissatisfied with the scheme’s current state. Financial constraints, inferior meal quality, inconsistent monitoring, and lack of accountability have undermined the scheme’s potential to positively impact student health and nutrition.
Goals of the scheme
The scheme was launched on 4 January 2025, aiming to achieve five broader goals:
1. To increase attendance and eliminate dropouts.
2. To make students more interested in studies and improve their health.
3. To strengthen intermediate education.
4. To satisfy the hunger of poor students.
5. To provide social equality among students.
Currently, 1,48,419 students across 475 government junior colleges in the state are benefiting from the scheme. As part of its implementation, 398 colleges have been linked to nearby government schools to facilitate meal distribution, while the remaining 77 colleges have been connected to centralised kitchens.
The government has allocated ₹29.39 crore for the scheme from January to March this year, and orders have been issued to allocate ₹85.84 crore for the next financial year.
The survey found that the Government Order 40 issued to implement the scheme lacked clarity on expenses, quantity of food to be served to each student, allocation per student, and nutrition content, among others.
It also found that quality meals could not be served due to insufficient funds.
The survey found that 61.2 percent of students consumed the mid-day meals, while 32.5 percent said they took it occasionally, and 1.3 percent stated they do not consume it at all.
In urban areas such as Rajamahendravaram, Kakinada, Guntur, Vijayawada, and Kurnool, only 50 percent of students eat the mid-day meal, with the remaining students either bringing meals from home or eating at home.
Some students expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of food served, the survey found.
The survey observed that menu boards were absent in the colleges. When researchers inquired whether the food items matched the prescribed menu, 76.7 percent of students responded affirmatively, 20.8 percent noted some discrepancies, and 2.5 percent stated that the items did not match the menu.
Furthermore, 29.7 percent of students said they were satisfied with the food served, while 3.8 percent did not like it, and a significant 66.5 percent suggested improvements. The students recommended a more diverse and balanced menu.
The survey also found several students skipping meals since the food brought to the colleges in the morning had turned cold.
When students were asked whether the plates and glasses provided for the mid-day meal were clean, 56.1 percent responded positively, 17.6 percent said they were not clean, and 26.3 percent stated they were only sometimes clean.
Furthermore, when asked about the cleanliness of the food serving area, 50.5 percent of students said it was clean, 32.6 percent said it was not clean, and 16.9 percent reported it was only sometimes clean.
The survey also noted inadequate provision for drinking water and dining facilities in some colleges.
Recommendations
Following the survey, People’s Pulse recommended a slew of measures to overcome the shortcomings of the scheme.
It called for an enhanced monitoring and social audits, revising financial allocations, improving the quality of food, clarification on nutrition standards, monitoring and community participation and the establishment of a dedicated monitoring corporation.
It further recommended strengthening district-level review mechanisms, inspections by public representatives, mobilising community and corporate support, ensuring cleanliness and hygiene, and creating a grievance redressal mechanism.
Additionally, the survey called for the implementation of a minimum wage policy for cooks.
People’s Pulse said the researchers spent at least four hours at each college, engaging in face-to-face interactions with students benefiting from the scheme, as well as with teachers, kitchen staff, and parents.
The field study, based on a questionnaire, was conducted from 15 February to 7 March 2025.
(Edited by Majnu Babu.)
