Cereals provided in mid-day meals: March 2011

Ans. B: 75 grams Mid-day meal provides 75 grams of cereals and millets Mid-Day Meal Scheme It is the popular name for school meal programme in India which staed in the 1960s. It involves provision of lunch free of cost to school-children on all working days. The key objectives of the programme are: protecting children from classroom hunger, increasing school enrolment and attendance, improved socialisation among children belonging to all castes, addressing malnutrition, and social empowerment through provision of employment to women. The scheme has a long history especially in the state of Tamil Nadu introduced statewide by the then Chief Minister K. Kamaraj in 1960s and later expanded by M. G. Ramachandran government in 1982 has been adopted by most of the states in India after a landmark direction by the Supreme Cou of India on November 28, 2001. The success of this scheme is illustrated by the tremendous increase in the school paicipation and completion rates in the state of Tamil Nadu. 12 crore (120 million) children are so far covered under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, which is the largest school lunch programme in the world. Allocation for this programme has been enhanced from Rs 3010 crore to Rs 4813 crore (Rs 48 billion 1.3 million) in 2006-2007 A mid day meal should provide at least one-third of the total energy requirement, and half of the protein need A mid day school meal consists of (g/day/ child): Cereals and millets: 75; Pulses: 30; Oils and fats: 8; Leafy vegetables: 30; Non-leafy vegetables: 30