Report No.
PA 13 of 2008
Performance audit report on National Programme for Nutritional
Support to Primary Education (Midday Meal Scheme)
Highlights
The Midday Meal Scheme is a laudable programme of the Government of
India designed to improve the status of primary education by addressing
the societal problems of poverty and hunger. Several improvements have
been made in the contents of MDM as the scheme progressed. For
instance, in the revised scheme of 2006, the calorie content has been
increased from 300 calories to 450 calories and the protein content from
8-12 grams to 12 grams. The performance audit has sought to examine
the implementation of the scheme and suggest ways whereby the delivery
of the scheme can be improved and direct and indirect outcomes are
measured and evaluated. Following are the highlights of the audit
findings.
¾ Even after more than a decade of running the programme, there is
a lack of clarity regarding the objectives to be achieved by the
scheme. There was a qualitative shift in the focus of the Scheme in
September 2006 from education (with its emphasis on enrolment,
learning levels and attendance) to nutrition and health.
¾ Ministry had not assessed the impact of the programme in terms of
increase in enrolment, attendance and retention levels of children.
The data collected from schools selected for audit did not disclose
any definite pattern in enrolment, attendance and retention levels
of children over the years.
¾ The Ministry has been unable to establish a system of reliable data
capture and reporting by the states. Many states resorted to over-
reporting of the enrolment while projecting the requirement of
funds. There was no system of cross checking the data of
enrolment furnished by the state Governments.
¾ One of the objectives of the scheme was to positively impact the
nutritional and health levels of primary school children; which was
the main objective of the revised scheme in September 2006. The
Ministry was yet to collect data on the nutritional status of
children covered under the midday meal scheme. Nor were
linkages with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the
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Report No. PA 13 of 2008
health checks prescribed under the scheme followed up by the
Ministry. In most states the children were not administered micro
nutrient supplements and de-worming medicines.
¾ The audit of the implementation of the scheme countrywide
displayed weak internal controls and monitoring. The provisions
for programme evaluation and regular monitoring and inspections
in the scheme design, were not effectively followed nor the results
analysed for review of errors and introduction of changes on the
basis of lessons learnt. The steering and monitoring committees
set up by the Ministry to monitor the scheme at national and state
level did not meet regularly. While at the national level, the
committee met only twice since its inception in 2005 against the
scheduled five meetings, the states fared even worse.
¾ In most of the schools sample checked in audit, regular inspections
were not carried out to ensure the overall quality of midday meal
served and nor were basic records such as issue and receipt of
foodgrains, meal quality and evidence of community participation
(through village education committees and parent teacher
associations) maintained.
¾ Audit of the implementation of the scheme in the states disclosed
leakages, deficient infrastructure, delayed release of funds and
inflated transportation costs etc.
¾ The Ministry failed to put in place an effective system to ensure
that teachers are not assigned the responsibilities that would
interfere with teaching activities. Many instances of the teachers
spending considerable teaching time in supervising the cooking
and serving of meals were noticed, resulting in loss of teaching
hours.
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