New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which provides mid day meals to 19,761 students studying in civic schools under its jurisdiction, doesn’t have any provision for regular quality checks of mid day meal samples, and only does random surprise tests.
In the current academic session, NDMC officers picked up and sent nine samples of mid day meal for testing nutrition value of protein and calorie. These 'selected' samples from mid day meal supplier, ISKON Food Relief Foundation, tested in Spectro Anylytical Labs Ltd managed to pass the prescribed nutrition norms.
But, surprisingly, only one out of 17 mid day meal samples of ISKON passed the test in Shriram Institute for Industrial Research. These samples were randomly picked up and tested by the laboratory as the same NGO also supplies mid day meal to municipal primary schools.
'Quality tests are done, but they are done as and when required,' said a reply to an RTI query. After receiving the RTI query on 26 November, 2012 NDMC officers sent two samples for quality tests to the Shriram Institute for Industrial Research. Both samples was picked up from a primary school at Bapu Dham on 10 December. The samples were found to contain 12.0 gm protein and 450 gm calorie, thus only marginally meeting the required nutritional count. Interestingly, both the samples were taken up from food supplied by by the ISKON.
Another NGO M/s Manjeet also supplies mid day meals to schools under the Council’s jurisdiction, but not even a single sample sent by this supplier was submitted to a quality test.
Surprisingly, all the nine samples which were sent by the NDMC officers for surprise inspection were picked up from ISKON.
NDMC too, as per the agreement with suppliers can take action against them if the food supplied to the schools is found to be of inferior quality. But again, no such action has been taken. Furthermore, NDMC doesn't have the required data to establish that the impact of mid day meal on the health of students, their enrolment or attendance. 'The average attendance between 2002 to 2012 is approximately 75 to 80 per cent for primary and upper primary schools,' said the RTI reply.
In the current academic session, NDMC officers picked up and sent nine samples of mid day meal for testing nutrition value of protein and calorie. These 'selected' samples from mid day meal supplier, ISKON Food Relief Foundation, tested in Spectro Anylytical Labs Ltd managed to pass the prescribed nutrition norms.
But, surprisingly, only one out of 17 mid day meal samples of ISKON passed the test in Shriram Institute for Industrial Research. These samples were randomly picked up and tested by the laboratory as the same NGO also supplies mid day meal to municipal primary schools.
'Quality tests are done, but they are done as and when required,' said a reply to an RTI query. After receiving the RTI query on 26 November, 2012 NDMC officers sent two samples for quality tests to the Shriram Institute for Industrial Research. Both samples was picked up from a primary school at Bapu Dham on 10 December. The samples were found to contain 12.0 gm protein and 450 gm calorie, thus only marginally meeting the required nutritional count. Interestingly, both the samples were taken up from food supplied by by the ISKON.
Another NGO M/s Manjeet also supplies mid day meals to schools under the Council’s jurisdiction, but not even a single sample sent by this supplier was submitted to a quality test.
Surprisingly, all the nine samples which were sent by the NDMC officers for surprise inspection were picked up from ISKON.
NDMC too, as per the agreement with suppliers can take action against them if the food supplied to the schools is found to be of inferior quality. But again, no such action has been taken. Furthermore, NDMC doesn't have the required data to establish that the impact of mid day meal on the health of students, their enrolment or attendance. 'The average attendance between 2002 to 2012 is approximately 75 to 80 per cent for primary and upper primary schools,' said the RTI reply.