To Ensure Good Quality Food, Bihar School Principals Will Also Join Students For Mid-Day Meal

In a progressive move toward ensuring that good quality food is being provided to children in schools, Bihar's Education Department has instructed the school principals to be a part of the mid-day meals with the pupils. In this context, the State Education Department has issued a directive requiring all heads or principals of government and government-aided primary schools to sit with children and enjoy mid-day meals.

Sanjay Kumar, additional chief secretary of the state education department, stated that since the practice of serving mid-day meals in schools was reinstated on February 28 following the Covid-19 pandemic, necessary steps have been taken to ensure regular monitoring of midday meals served to children.

He said that the chairman, secretary, other members of the school education committee, and the children's guardians would sit with the children and have their meals with them in rotation, reported The Times of India.

Officials To Have Mid-Day Meal

Furthermore, whenever district officers or officials authorised by them visit the school to inspect the midday meals, they make it a point to sit with the students and eat with them. This initiative would give children and their guardians more trust in the quality of food provided in schools on all working days.

The department had previously advised the principals to sample the prepared food at least half an hour before serving it to the students on April 5. The authorities' meeting with the chief secretary emphasised the importance of regular monitoring of midday meals on March 28.

Mid-Day Meal In Karnataka

Meanwhile, in December of last year, the Karnataka government began including eggs in school children's mid-day lunches. The decision was made to combat childhood malnutrition and anaemia, reported News 18.

Some religious groups and communities, on the other hand, were opposed to the idea, claiming that it would harm vegetarians' spiritual emotions. Despite the criticism, the state government plans to expand the project to seven additional areas in North Karnataka, where the National Family Health Survey revealed that children are underweight and anaemic.

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