-Down to Earth The MidDay Meal scheme for schoolchildren is increasingly getting politicised, as the upper class elite wants to impose its own religious/food beliefs on malnourished children Most countries in the world now have some programme that provides MidDay Meals to schoolchildren. School meals have been widely hailed for their multiple benefits — they increase enrolment and attendance, particularly of children from vulnerable groups; contribute to reduce “classroom hunger” and improve...

-The Hindu DPI to submit proposal to State govt. Karnataka: The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) wants to replicate the food menu of children in anganwadis, which includes eggs, in pre-primary classes from this academic year, and is planning to submit a proposal to the State government. The government this year started pre-primary sections in 276 Karnataka Public Schools where all children are of the same age bracket as those in anganwadis, who...

-The Hindu Karnataka signs MoU with Akshaya Patra Foundation Bengaluru: The State government appears to have backtracked on its stand that onion and garlic be introduced in mid-day meals served to students. It has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF), a subsidiary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), despite the latter’s refusal to use the two ingredients. In November last year, the Department of...

-The Telegraph Centre to eat up savings in case of death of subscriber and spouse The Centre will swallow the contribution of unorganised workers under a new pension scheme in the event of the death of the subscriber and his or her spouse, according to an official notification. Contributory pension schemes usually ensure payments to dependant and unmarried children. However, the notification for the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan, announced in the interim Union...

-TheWire.in With the 2019 elections around the corner, political parties should step up to the plate and display their commitment to children’s nutrition. This week, the prime minister made headlines by serving MidDay Meals supplied by  Akshaya Patra at a school in Uttar Pradesh’s Vrindavan. While he engaged in banter with the children about being late, one of the students wittily interjected that she didn’t mind as she had already eaten at home. While...