The government has allocated a budget of Rs.27.39 crores for the financial year 2024-25 and Rs.85.84 crores for 2025-26 to implement this program

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

In a significant step towards promoting education and ensuring student welfare, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has issued G.O.Ms.No. 40, on Tuesday approving the implementation of a Mid-Day Meal (MDM) program in 475 Government Junior Colleges across the state.

The scheme, which begins on January 1, 2025, aims to address the nutritional needs of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, encouraging them to pursue higher education without financial or dietary concerns.

Recognizing that most students in Government Junior Colleges belong to Below Poverty Line families and marginalized communities, the government’s introduction of the Mid-Day Meal program is a transformative initiative.

The scheme is designed to achieve several critical objectives, including improving students' nutrition and overall health, boosting enrollment and attendance in junior colleges, easing the financial burden on low-income families and instilling healthy eating habits in young students.

The government has allocated a budget of Rs.27.39 crores for the financial year 2024-25 and Rs.85.84 crores for 2025-26 to implement this program. The scheme will cover all students enrolled in 1st and 2nd year Intermediate courses in Government Junior Colleges.

The scheme will provide hot cooked meals to students, following the menu currently used in high schools under the School Education Department. The implementation involves two primary models, one by tagging Junior Colleges to nearby schools, where some colleges will receive meals prepared in nearby high schools, ensuring cost-effective and timely delivery.

The other through centralized kitchens/NGOs, where the remaining colleges will rely on established centralized kitchens run by NGOs with existing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for the MDM scheme.

The guidelines outlined in the G.O ensure meticulous implementation where the cooked meals must be transported in sealed, insulated containers to maintain quality and serve within four hours of preparation.

Principals of junior colleges will be responsible for daily updates on meal requirements and attendance through a dedicated mobile app for real-time monitoring. As per the MHRD norms, helpers will be appointed for cooking and serving meals, and their honorarium will be covered under the scheme.

Further, the government has laid out strict measures to monitor the quality and quantity of meals provided. District Collectors will oversee the MOUs with NGOs, ensuring adherence to standards. Principals and Headmasters will coordinate to submit daily data, maintain records, and manage the supply chain effectively.

Kona Sasidhar, Secretary to the Government, emphasized the transformative impact of the program. “This Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a critical intervention to support students’ education and well-being. By reducing hunger and improving nutrition, we aim to ensure that no child is left behind due to economic hardship,” he said.