Kolkata Schools to Retain Eggs in Revised Mid Day Meal Scheme
Source:The Hindu ↗
কেন এটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ
Demonstrates the operational flexibility in executing centrally sponsored schemes (like PM POSHAN and Samagra Shiksha) at the state level to meet local nutritional preferences. Mid-day meal schemes are a recurring topic in WBCS Prelims and Mains given their intersection of education, health, and welfare policy.
সারসংক্ষেপ
The West Bengal government has clarified that eggs will remain a part of the mid-day meal menu in Kolkata schools, following the handover of meal preparation to ISKCON. To balance ISKCON's strict vegetarian (satvik) food preparation guidelines, the state has directed Self Help Groups (SHGs) to source and distribute the eggs separately. Additionally, the government has increased its contribution to the mid-day meal scheme, raising the daily allocation per student from ₹6.78 to ₹10, and also distributed grants under the centrally sponsored Samagra Shiksha Mission.
মূল বিষয়
- The West Bengal government announced that eggs will continue to be provided in mid-day meals in Kolkata schools.
- While ISKCON will prepare and supply the primary vegetarian (satvik) meals, eggs will be procured and distributed separately by Self Help Groups (SHGs).
- The state government has increased its financial allocation for the mid-day meal scheme from ₹6.78 to ₹10 per student per day.
- Funds under the Samagra Shiksha Mission were also distributed, highlighting ongoing investments in state school infrastructure and education.
গুরুত্বপূর্ণ শব্দ
PM POSHAN
A Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Education providing one hot cooked meal daily to elementary school children, effectively subsuming the former Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
UPSC context
GS Paper II: Governance, Social Sector (Education and Health), and Issues relating to Poverty and Hunger.
Mid-Day Meal Scheme
India's historic school-feeding programme launched in 1995 to enhance enrollment, attendance, and nutrition among children, now legally mandated under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
UPSC context
GS Paper II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; evaluates rights-based legal entitlements and development management.
Samagra Shiksha Mission
An overarching Centrally Sponsored Scheme for school education extending from pre-school to Class XII, merging Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and Teacher Education.
UPSC context
GS Paper II: Social Justice and Education; tests implementation of the Right to Education Act and sustainable development.
Self Help Groups (SHGs)
Informal, self-governed collectives of people (primarily women) from similar socio-economic backgrounds who pool savings, secure credit, and drive community-level developmental and livelihood initiatives.
UPSC context
GS Paper II: Role of SHGs, NGOs, and pressure groups in governance; GS Paper III: Inclusive growth.
ISKCON
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a global spiritual organization in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition that carries out cultural preservation, education, and welfare outreach.
UPSC context
GS Paper I: Indian Culture and the Bhakti movement; GS Paper II: Role of civil society organizations.
প্রিলিমস ফাঁদ
"The Central Government mandates a uniform pan-India menu and provides 100% funding under the PM POSHAN scheme."
States design their own menus to meet central nutritional targets and can add items like eggs using state funds. Funding is shared (60:40), not 100% central.
সংযুক্ত স্থির ধারণা
What are the core nutritional and funding mandates of the PM POSHAN Scheme?
- Target Group: Covers children in Classes I to VIII in government and aided schools, recently extended to pre-primary/Balvatika.
- Nutritional Norms: Primary students must receive 450 calories and 12g protein; Upper Primary require 700 calories and 20g protein.
- Funding Pattern: Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a 60:40 share for general states and 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan states.
What is the Samagra Shiksha Scheme and what previous programs did it subsume?
- Broad Coverage: It is an overarching, integrated scheme for school education that covers from pre-school all the way to Class XII.
- Subsumed Schemes: It merged three erstwhile schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education (TE).
আন্তঃবিষয় প্যাটার্ন
SHGs bridging PPP supply gaps
Using local SHGs to supply eggs while an NGO manages the vegetarian base meal showcases adaptive decentralization, blending large-scale PPPs with localized women's empowerment.
State autonomy in CSS funding
Education being on the Concurrent List allows states to top-up Centrally Sponsored Schemes. West Bengal increasing its allocation exemplifies fiscal federalism and localized welfare priorities.
Expect a Prelims question comparing the beneficiary class scope (I-VIII vs Pre-K to XII) of PM POSHAN against Samagra Shiksha.
সংযুক্ত PYQ · 1
সংযুক্ত PYQ · 1
- 2006WBCS_PRELIMSGS1
Mid-day meal Scheme was launched in
