Only 17 per cent of samples from govt schools meet prescribed standards of nutrition
The quality of mid day meal being supplied to over 1.5 lakh primary and upper primary school students under the Directorate of Education, Delhi government has been found to be disappointing, as only 17 pecent samples sent for quality tests in the current academic session could meet the prescribed nutritional standard.
As per the Mid Day Meal Cell of Directorate of Education’s reply to an RTI query on 27 February 2013, only 50 of 288 samples tested so far by Shriram Institute for Industrial Research have met the required nutritional standard. Among these samples, 198 were picked up from schools, while 90 were picked up from kitchens of the NGOs that have been engaged to provide the mid day meal to schools. As per the prescribed nutritional content of a mid day meal serving, each student of upper primary level, class VI to VIII, must get 20 gm of protein and 700 calorie of energy in one portion, while a student of primary standard, class I to V , should get 12 gm protein and 450 gm of calorie of energy per portion. The reply to the RTI query has also revealed that only 12 (13.33 percent) of the samples picked up from the kitchens met the test standards, where as only 38 (19.19 percent) of the samples picked up from the schools had the required level of nutrition. In the ongoing academic session, 1.49 lakh students are studying in the 204 primary schools and 960 primary and upper primary schools of the department. Thirteen NGOs have been entrusted with the responsibility of supplying mid day meals to these schools.
In 2011-12, the laboratory tested 541 samples of mid day meal out of which only 27 samples (4.5 percent) passed the prescribed nutritional standard. Out of these 27 samples which passed the test 17 were picked up from schools and 10 from the kitchens of the NGOs engaged for supplying mid day meal. A total of 367 of samples from schools and 174 samples from kitchens were sent for testing nutritional value and presence of E Coli and Salmonella bacteria. The samples, however tested negative for any infection but failed badly in quality.
Among the three years data provided by the department, 2010-11 was the worst when around 99 percent samples failed the prescribed nutritional norms. As per RTI reply 466 samples were sent for examination of which 322 were picked up from school and 144 were picked up from kitchens, out of those only four samples (1.2 percent) of schools and just one sample (0.69 percent) of kitchen passed the nutritional standard. Thus only five (1.0 percent) samples qualified the test.
As per the Mid Day Meal Cell of Directorate of Education’s reply to an RTI query on 27 February 2013, only 50 of 288 samples tested so far by Shriram Institute for Industrial Research have met the required nutritional standard. Among these samples, 198 were picked up from schools, while 90 were picked up from kitchens of the NGOs that have been engaged to provide the mid day meal to schools. As per the prescribed nutritional content of a mid day meal serving, each student of upper primary level, class VI to VIII, must get 20 gm of protein and 700 calorie of energy in one portion, while a student of primary standard, class I to V , should get 12 gm protein and 450 gm of calorie of energy per portion. The reply to the RTI query has also revealed that only 12 (13.33 percent) of the samples picked up from the kitchens met the test standards, where as only 38 (19.19 percent) of the samples picked up from the schools had the required level of nutrition. In the ongoing academic session, 1.49 lakh students are studying in the 204 primary schools and 960 primary and upper primary schools of the department. Thirteen NGOs have been entrusted with the responsibility of supplying mid day meals to these schools.
In 2011-12, the laboratory tested 541 samples of mid day meal out of which only 27 samples (4.5 percent) passed the prescribed nutritional standard. Out of these 27 samples which passed the test 17 were picked up from schools and 10 from the kitchens of the NGOs engaged for supplying mid day meal. A total of 367 of samples from schools and 174 samples from kitchens were sent for testing nutritional value and presence of E Coli and Salmonella bacteria. The samples, however tested negative for any infection but failed badly in quality.
Among the three years data provided by the department, 2010-11 was the worst when around 99 percent samples failed the prescribed nutritional norms. As per RTI reply 466 samples were sent for examination of which 322 were picked up from school and 144 were picked up from kitchens, out of those only four samples (1.2 percent) of schools and just one sample (0.69 percent) of kitchen passed the nutritional standard. Thus only five (1.0 percent) samples qualified the test.