By Asmita Singh, Antony Rithick and Sanga Putatunda 

ABSTRACT:

Originated in ancient India and Medieval Europe, the idea of free meal schemes contributes significantly to rural education. This paper highlights the critical role and outlines the free meal schemes of – India, Indonesia, Japan and Finland. The Mid Day Meal Scheme, initiated in 1995, significantly improved school enrolment and health among children, particularly in rural areas of India, which inspired Indonesia to adopt a similar model. Besides to address the areas for improvement within the MDMS, by drawing lessons from international models in Japan and Finland, have been emphasized upon. Ultimately, the paper argues upon the vital strategy of free meal schemes for combating malnutrition and promoting education, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 and 4.

INTRODUCTION:

Free meal schemes are programs that provide free meals to children in schools. Experts say that these meals are vital from a financial perspective and health standpoint too. There have been numerous studies that have concluded that students perform better academically, behaviorally and emotionally after consuming nutritious meals during the school day –

The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2023) found that children who received onsite meals and snacks provided by their child care center had higher chances of being food-secure and were more likely to be in good health. Brookings Institution (2021) analyzed the impact of a program that offered school-wide free meals and found an improvement in math performance at school districts. The Centre for Policy Research at the Maxwell School reinforces the findings that universal free meals have a positive effect on the English language arts and math test scores of all students. Researchers saw a significant reduction in suspensions among certain students. Besides free school meals are especially beneficial for girls, incentivizing their staying in school longer, postponing marriage, and lowering the chances of teen pregnancies. Most importantly the initiatives of free meal schemes upholds SDG 2 (No Hunger) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).

MID DAY MEAL SCHEME OF INDIA:

The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS), launched by the Government of India in 1995, under the name of the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE), is a government initiative aimed at providing free meals to children in schools, primarily in rural areas, to improve their nutritional status and increase school enrolment and attendance. It is one of the largest school meal programs in the world and is an essential part of India’s efforts to fight malnutrition, promote education, and ensure the well-being of children. In 2001, the Supreme Court of India directed the central government to universalize the program which led to its expansion while including children in upper primary schools. Thus it was subsequently renamed as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

Improvements under MDMS:

1. Increase in Enrolment: The MDMS has helped increase the number of children enrolling in primary schools. Many small studies show that after mid-day meals were introduced, enrolment rose quickly. For example, in Rajasthan, mid-day meals started in July 2002, and a study of 63 schools in Barmer district showed a 23% increase in enrolment.
2. Social and Health Benefits: Improving food variety and nutrition has other benefits beyond health. Some upper-caste and upper-class parents do not like the idea of their children eating with lower-caste children. However, Afridi (2005) found that in schools where boring meals like Dalia were served, 6% of parents complained about caste mixing. But in schools where a better meal (Suruchi Bhojan) was served, no parents complained about caste issues. This shows that better food can help reduce caste discrimination in schools. Also, giving children vitamins and minerals (like iron, vitamin A, and iodine) along with deworming tablets can greatly improve their health.
   A study in Rajasthan found that children from Scheduled Tribes (STs) eat better-quality food and in larger amounts at school on school days compared to what they eat at home during holidays (Garg & Mandal, 2013). This shows that the school lunch program not only helps children get healthier food but also teaches them good habits.
3. Education on hygiene and cleanliness: The program encourages children to follow hygiene and cleanliness (Khera, 2006). Through this, they learn about balanced diet and good hygiene (Kales, 2014; Sangai, 2016). Good habits like washing hands before eating, cutting nails regularly, and keeping the school clean are learned and practiced through the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) program.
4. Support to the Local Economy: About two-thirds of India’s people live in villages, and many of them are very poor. Around 64% of rural jobs are in farming, and agriculture makes up 39% of rural production (Sinha, 2018). In villages, people grow fruits and vegetables in their gardens and sell them in local markets. The Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) has helped local farmers and vegetable sellers earn money.
5. Job Opportunities for Poor Women: The MDMS does not just provide food to hungry children in school but also gives jobs independent. In villages, women usually find work only in farming. Through this scheme, some rural women have improved their financial and social conditions.

MDMS: AN INSPIRATION FOR INDONESIA:

President Prabowo Subianto’s administration officially began its term on October 20, 2024. One of his flagship programmes, the Free Nutritious Meal scheme. The government has earmarked 71 trillion rupiah (US$4.4 billion) for the programme’s initial roll-out. But the price tag is set to climb to more than US$24 billion annually if it is to meet its target of feeding 82.9 million children, providing meals five days a week, by 2029.

On launch day, 6^th January 2025, at least 190 kitchens operated by third-party caterers served meals to 570,000 schoolchildren across 26 provinces, according to the National Nutrition Agency (NNA). “This is a long-term investment in human capital.” said Dadan Hindayana, Head of NNA. (Financial Times)

There are several factors that can be held accountable for shaping this scheme – of the 63.4 million undernourished people in Southeast Asia, one in three (24.1 million) live in Indonesia, according to the ASEAN Food and Nutrition Report 2021. Indonesia has high stunting, underweight, wasting, thinness and overweight rates among children and adolescents. Indonesia possess programmes targeting malnutrition, including the Bantuan Pangan Non-Tunai (non-cash Food assistance) which has been bearing fruit. However, regions such as Central Papua, East Nusa Tenggara and Papua Pegunungan continue to experience stunting rates nearing 38 per cent. Besides, Indonesian students lag behind their peers internationally, scoring their “lowest ever” results in mathematics, reading, and science in the latest available programme for International Student Assessment report from 2022. (Yusof Ishak Institute, 2024)

The school meal programme, along with other complementary intervention programmes targeting the root causes of stunting, has the potential to reduce this, particularly if it prioritizes at-risk areas such as West Sulawesi, Aceh and West Kalimantan, aside from the aforementioned provinces. (Yusof Ishak Institute, 2024)

This scheme also emphasizes on driving the local economy and for local farmers to ensure the programme has a “positive economic impact on villages” and serve as a platform to educate parents about the importance of healthy eating. 

In a study by Financial Times, Warungkiara Kitchen, a pilot project, is seen as the benchmark for the programme’s national rollout. Before dawn in West Java, dozens of kitchen staff were hard at work making free meals for more than 3,000 schoolchildren in the Indonesian town of Warungkiara. By 7 am, the kitchen was ready to begin distributing food to students. In the same study, Iswah Ismatullah, Principal at the Himmatussalam Islamic High School, addressed “Over time, the absence rate has been decreasing. This also influences the learning process.”

How did Indonesia inspire from India’s MDMS?

In April 2024, an Indonesian delegation led by Mochammad Firman Hidayat, Deputy Coordinating Minister of Maritime Resources, visited India to study its successful mid-day meal scheme. The delegation, eager to replicate India’s success, gathered key insights into the logistics, nutritional quality, and implementation strategies of the mid-day meal scheme, which has served millions of children for over two decades. One of the pivotal stops for the delegation was Akshaya Patra’s kitchen in Bangalore, the largest non-profit partner in India’s mid-day meal scheme. Akshaya Patra’s innovative approach to serving high-quality meals at scale made a lasting impression on the Indonesian team. Yet, Indonesia will have to avoid the pitfalls seen in India where government officials and others say the scheme has been mismanaged in some places. (Firstpost)

India has reaffirmed support for the program through sharing knowledge and training of the government’s Food Corporation of India and other institutions with Indonesian officials.

Apart from this, USA is providing training to Indonesian dairy farmers to support the program, which has increased the demand for locally produced milk. Japan will support the meal program by helping the Indonesian government increase its ability to combat childhood malnutrition. France, which has a similar school feeding program, intends to share its expertise and help Indonesia modernize its agricultural sector. (Faridz, 2025)

Towards a Sustainable Approach:

If, Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) continues to deliver its promises it can contribute to climate goals by:

Reducing carbon footprint by sourcing of food locally, including rice, protein, fruits and vegetables; the majority is targeted to be sourced locally. Besides this program shall also promote a stable market for climate-resilient crops and agricultural practices, using low emission stoves. Therefore, it shall lead to a holistic food and hygiene education for greater health resilience. (Yusof Ishak Institute, 2024)

AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT IN INDIA: OVERVIEW FROM JAPAN AND FINLAND:

Even though MDMS of India has a significant impact yet, there lies certain backlogs in –

1. Quality of Food: The quality of mid-day meals is still a big challenge where children fall sick after eating the food, and these incidents were widely reported in the news. Besides the nutritional value of meals needs to be checked carefully.
   For instance, when Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh first started giving cooked meals, the food was very basic and repetitive-like ‘Ghooghri’ in Rajasthan and ‘Dalia’ in Madhya Pradesh. These meals were just boiled wheat with salt or sugar.
2. Improvement of School Facilities: In some schools, teachers and staff managing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) are still not fully aware of the rules. Many schools do not have proper kitchens, enough cooking utensils, or a suitable place to serve food.
   In some schools, teachers believe that only the MDMS staff should handle meal distribution, so they do not help. This lack of cooperation can reduce motivation among those who benefit from the scheme (Nambiar & Desai, 2012, Robinson, 2007; Verma & Biswas, 2009).
   To make the program better, the MDMS authorities should provide proper facilities like kitchens with storage rooms, clean drinking water, enough cooking and serving utensils, and water tanks for washing dishes in every school.
3. A Centralized Kitchen: In India, the way food is prepared and served under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is different in each region. According to MDMS rules, schools can have either a centralized kitchen or a school-based kitchen, depending on the area and available facilities.
   A study in Uttar Pradesh found that children prefer school-based kitchens over centralized ones (Ali & Akbar, 2015). A centralized kitchen is a place where food is cooked for several nearby schools and then delivered by vehicles to be served during lunchtime. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) manage these kitchens, and the government monitors them through a screening process. This system is helpful for schools that do not have proper kitchen facilities. Even though some organizations provide good service, it is not always as good as expected. The long gap between cooking and serving, sometimes leads food to spoil, affecting children’s health.
4. Underpaid and Undervalued: The Government of India considers cook-cum-helpers as part-time workers, not full government employees. Like Anganwadi workers, they receive a small fixed payment (honorarium) instead of a regular salary. Cook-cum-helpers do not get paid during school holidays, so they earn money for only 10 months in a year. They usually work six days a week, meaning their total yearly income is INR 10,000, which is about INR 38 per day. Sometimes, their actual payment is even less – one  cook in a study received only INR 900 instead of INR 1,000 because a teacher took INR 100 for cleaning grain elsewhere.
   The cost is shared between the central and state governments in a 60:40 ratio. However, in eight North Eastern states and three Himalayan states, the ratio is 90:10, and in Union Territories (UTs), the central government pays the full amount.

Areas of improvement and its progress:

Japan’s school meal program is another exemplary system known for its efficiency, health benefits, and student involvement while Finnish model has been praised globally for its holistic approach to education and child welfare. Here’s what India has been adopting from Japan and Finland’s model:

1. Balanced Diet and Portion Control: Meals in Japan are carefully planned to ensure a balanced diet with proper portions. The meals typically consist of rice, soup, vegetables, and fish or meat, ensuring variety and well-balanced nutrition.
   Efforts have been made to improve portion control in the Indian mid-day meals to ensure that children receive the right amounts of food without waste. There is also greater emphasis on providing a variety of meals across the week, catering to different regional tastes and nutritional needs. (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2020)
2. Focus on Hygiene and Safety: Japan has stringent food safety standards, and meals are prepared with an emphasis on hygiene and cleanliness. Students often help in the preparation and cleaning of meals, which instils a sense of responsibility and respect for food.
   India has started emphasizing hygiene in meal preparation and serving, and many states have begun conducting training programs for kitchen staff to improve safety standards. (S.K. Sahoo, 2016)

3. Involvement of Teachers and Students in Meal Preparation: Students in Japan are often involved in the meal preparation process, help in serving meals and cleaning up afterward, fostering a sense of community, responsibility, and team work.
   While it is not yet a widespread practice in India, some schools have begun encouraging student participation in meal-related activities, such as helping serve food or cleaning the dining areas.
4. Student Participation and Engagement: Finnish students are involved in choosing meals, encouraging them to make healthier choices. This inclusion increases participation in the program and promotes better eating habits.
   India has started to introduce the concept of “student feedback” into the meal planning process. Students are sometimes asked for their opinions on the menu, and schools are encouraged to adopt changes based on feedback. (Gustafsson J, & Lonnroth P, 2019)

CONCLUSION:

For children from underprivileged families, especially in rural areas, the mid-day meal scheme offers a compelling reason to attend school regularly. It reduces hunger, ensuring children have at least one nutritious meal a day, which many families cannot afford. This not only reduces absenteeism but also lightens the financial burden on parents. The importance of mid-day meals is evident in their role in improving enrolment and attendance, thus providing a pathway to education for children.

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