Did you know that the issue of mid-day meals was brought before many High Courts during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Free Meals for Children in Schools (Mid-day Meal Scheme)

Last updated on May 30, 2024

The law provides that all students between the ages of six to fourteen years who enrol and attend the school studying between I to VIII classes shall be entitled to nutritious meals at no cost. The funds for such meals shall be provided by the state government. However, implementation of the scheme and monitoring of the quality and preparation of the meal is overseen by the School Management Committee.1 These meals should be provided on all days except school holidays. The place of service for such meals is at school only.

If for any reason, the mid-day meal is not provided to the child on any day, a food security allowance consisting of food grains and money shall be paid by the State Government to every child by the 15th of next month.2 The allowance includes food grains and money. It shall be based on the number of food grains entitled to the child and the cooking cost prevailing in the state. Children who voluntarily do not consume the mid-day meal, however, shall not be entitled to such allowance.3

 

  1. Rule 7, Mid Day Meal Rules, 2015. []
  2. Rule 3, Mid Day Meal Rules, 2015. []
  3. Rule 9, Mid Day Meal Rules, 2015. []

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 2.3 / 5. Vote count: 3

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Please share your feedback about this post!

Sharing feedback will help us improve our content. Tell us how!

If you want to keep your feedback confidential, please mention it in your feedback. If you have a question, please ask us in the comments or Ask Nyaaya sections.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Have a question you want to ask our legal experts?

Related Resources

Guide on the Rights of Transgender Persons in India

This Guide discusses the general provisions in the Constitution of India, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020.
citizen rights icon

Education for Children Belonging to Disadvantaged Groups

It is the duty of the government and the local authorities to ensure that children from disadvantaged groups are not discriminated against and are able to complete their elementary education.
citizen rights icon

Admission Process into Schools

All children between the ages of 6 to 14 years can get education from schools, free of cost,  from the 1st standard (first class) till the 8th standard (eighth class).
citizen rights icon

Free and Compulsory Education

The Right to Education is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21A of the Constitution of India, 1950. The law guaranteeing the right to education is known as the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
citizen rights icon

Complaining/ Grievances Regarding Child’s Education

If you face any grievance or you have a complaint regarding the education of a child, you can approach the following authorities:
citizen rights icon

Different Categories of Schools

The schools given below have the responsibility to make provisions for the free and compulsory elementary education of children.
citizen rights icon