Covid-19 Shutdown: Centre orders states to provide mid day meals

NEW DELHI: The central government on Friday directed all states and Union Territories to provide mid-day meals or food security allowance to students whose schools have been shut down due to the COVID-19 threat.

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the shutdown of schools country-wide and children who depend on the school lunch programme – the world’s largest – for nutrition were having to go without.

According to data shared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in Parliament on February 10, 2020, about 11.59 crore children benefit from the scheme.

In a directive issued on Friday, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) instructed the states and UTs to either deliver “hot cooked mid-day meal” to the children's homes or provide them with “food security allowance”.

The decision was made to ensure that children, especially those from economically weaker sections, does not have to compromise on nutrition.

The MHRD directive says: “As the country is passing through the difficult times of the Novel COVID-19 outbreak. The state government and union territories are advised to provide hot cooked mid-day meal or food security allowance to all eligible children till such time their schools are closed due to novel COVID-19.”

The directive has been passed after the Supreme Court took suo moto cognisance on the issue.

Mid-day meal is provided to children in the elementary classes, that is up to Class 8.

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