Observation of Monitoring Institution MDM Scheme for the State of Bihar 1st August,2009 to 31st Jan 2010 & 1 st Feb2010 to 31 st July,2010 Prof Ajay Kumar Jha, Ph D Professor & Head, Div of Political Science & Public Adm, A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies,Patna & NODAL OFFICER State Monitoring Institution for SSA, Bihar A. N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna –

Districts Monitored and No. of Schools Visited 2 Sl. No.DistrictNo. of Schools visitedPeriod 1 Darbhanga127 1 st August 2009 to 31 st January Saharsa64 3 Samastipur132 4 Saran134 5Muzafferpur143 1 st February 2010 to 31 st July Patna181 Total781

Regularity in serving meal: Majority of schools were not serving hot cooked meal daily to their children except Saran district where about 75.4% schools were serving hot cooked meal daily. Regularity in delivering food grains to schools: Food grains were not received by schools regularly. The MDM remains closed for months because of non availability of rice with the dealer. Buffer stocks of rice for one month’s requirement were not maintained in majority of schools. Food grains delivered at schools by the dealers. 3

Regularity in delivering cooking cost to school level: Majority of schools received cooking cost in advance through banking channels. Social equality: There was no caste/gender/ disability based discrimination seen among children while serving the Mid-Day Meal to the students in schools of different districts of the state of Bihar. All children were treated equally irrespective of caste, gender and disability. 4

Variety of menu: Majority schools of different districts had displayed its weekly menu but they hardly adhere to the menu displayed. Almost all schools of different districts are serving variety of food. Majority of schools of different districts of the state of Bihar include rice preparation, dal and vegetables in their daily menu. They do not include wheat preparation in their daily menu. Green vegetables are rarely cooked in the schools. Quantity of meal: Children, parents and community members were not happy with quantity of food. 5

Quality of meal: Children, parents and community members were not happy with quality of food. Bad quality of food materials were often served in unhygienic condition. Food was cooked and kept in open and dirty ground. In many schools children used to come in the field with plates in hands to take their food. It was observed that the small children dropped their food as they could not carry the plate efficiently. Poor quality of meal was served by the schools and NGOs of different districts. Supplementary: Micronutrients (Iron, folic acid & vitamin – A dosage) and de-worming medicine which are necessary for improving the health and proper growth of the children were not provided in the schools of different district of the state of Bihar. Student’s health card was not maintained by majority of schools. 6

Status of Cooks: In majority of schools, MDM preparation and distribution are managed by the VSS/Ad-hoc Committees. But in some schools of Darbhanga, Samastipur and Muzaffarpur districts, it is managed by NGO/Mahila Samakhya. Hence the cooks were appointed by these agencies. The Cooks and their helpers are paid 50 paise per head in all schools of Darbhanga, Saharsa, Samastipur and Saran districts. The remuneration of cooks is paid to them once in a month. But as per the new guideline, the HM has to pay Rs.1000/- per month to each cook from 1 st April, 2010 through banking channel after receiving the fund. But their remuneration was not reported to have been released by the concerned authority in many districts, such as in Muzaffarpur and Patna districts. Women cooks/helpers are appointed in majority of schools of different districts. Majority of cooks/helpers had been appointed from deprived sections of the society and in some places even from minority sections. 7

As far as the utensils are concerned more than half of the schools do not have adequate number of utensils for cooking MDM. In majority of schools (>98.9%) visited in all the districts, the use of firewood was found to be common for cooking mid day meals; In the rest of schools, either coal or gas was found to be used for the cooking of MDM. Infrastructure 2

Infrastructure 1 The pucca kitchen shed-cum-store was available and also in use in all the districts visited. The food is being cooked under thatched Kitchen shed or in the open places in many (65% to 80%) schools of different districts The MDM food grains and other ingredients are kept in safe places inside the school (in the HM room/ classroom). Portable water was available in all the districts visited. In some schools hand pumps are not in proper shape. 9

Hygiene, clineliness & conservation of water: Cooking and serving of meals in unhygienic conditions is by an large a general practice all over. But in around 10 percent of schools it was, however maintained. Likewise, cleanliness is another casualty. This was also found in around 10 percent of schools only, where MI visited. Again, it was only in less than 10 percent of schools that MI found children washing their hands properly before taking their meals. In most of the schools children are least bothered to wash their hands before their meals. Also, proper and orderly dining arrangement was grossly missing in almost over 90 percent of schools. Children were found eating in a very chaotic manner in and around school campus. We hardly noticed any training to children with regard to conservation of water. 10

Community Participation: With regard to the community participation, it may be said that it stands minimal in most of the cases. This was also the feedback coming from school HM and others. Community at large seldom show particular interest in Mid Day Meals activity.. Inspection and Supervision: MDM programme needs to be frequently inspected by the state/ district/ block level officers/ officials. This is missing. The visitor register was not maintained by any schools of different district. The signature of competent officers was not also seen in the MDM register. 11

Impact: In the implementation of MDM programme we have found lot of shortcomings. Nevertheless, its impact can be positively seen in the countryside. In the poverty–ridden countryside it has relieved the poor segment of society from additional burden of feeding their children at least in the day time. It has helped in raising the school attendance remarkably, though a lot is still needed in this area Concern of the people in the day to day governance has risen remarkably now, thanks to this programme. Every other day, we have some piece of news coming from any part of the country about how badly or otherwise this scheme is being run or not run at all. Thus, it has helped promote people’s awareness at large. 12

Observation of MI: In our general observation we found that at least in the area of MDM, NGOs have in most of the cases not been able to perform what is expected of them. But the poor service of NGOs and others have some in –built reasons which should also be seriously addressed. The amount of rice and money provided for cooking and serving MDM is meager by all standards. Even the payment to cook is below government’s own legal prescriptions compared to daily wage worker. It is difficult to hire a cook for every day cooking round the month, round the year. Children also need to be provided fruits, eggs, and vegetables on the day to day basis. Kitchen utensils including plates etc would be very difficult to procure within the amount given by government. 13

THANKS… 14