Programmme Management

A programme of the scale and magnitude of the Mid Day Meal Scheme requires a Management structure which is robust and dynamic. It is imperative that the Management system at various levels is clearly articulated and the roles of the different agencies involved clearly delineated. The programme requires close cooperation and coordination of the various agencies involved in the implementation of Scheme. NP-NSPE, 2006 envisages putting in place the following Management structures at the National, State, District/ Block and Local Levels.

3.1 National level:

• National level Steering cum Monitoring Committee : Vide Notification dated 20.12.04 read with Notification dated 31.12.04, the Department of School Education and Literacy has set up a National Level Steering cum Monitoring Committee (NSMC) to oversee the implementation of the programme. The composition of NSMC is given in Annexure-6. The NSMC is mandated to:
• Guide the various implementation agencies,
• Monitor programme implementation, assess its impact, and take corrective steps,
• Take action on reports of independent monitoring/evaluation agencies,
• Effect coordination and convergence among concerned departments, agencies (e.g. FCI), and schemes, and
• Mobilize community support and promoting publicprivate partnership for the programme.
• Under NP-NSPE, 2006, the NSMC will also, in addition, be expected to perform the following functions:
• provide policy advice to Central and State Governments, and
• identify voluntary agencies and other appropriate institutions to undertake training, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation and research connected with the programme at the national level.
• Programme Approval Board : Vide Order dated 9.3.06, the Department of School Education and Literacy has also set up a Programme Approval Board under the chairpersonship of Secretary, School Education and Literacy with membership of nutrition experts and representatives, inter alia, of the Departments of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Planning Commission, Food Corporation of India, etc. The composition of the Programme Approval Board is given in Annexure-7. The Programme Approval Board meets at the beginning of each financial year in order to consider and sanction the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) submitted by the State Governments and UT Administrations.
• National Mission for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA):The General Council and Executive Council of the National Mission for Sarva Shaksha Abhiyan (SSA) will, in addition to SSA itself, review, from time to time, Mid Day Meal Scheme also.

3.2 State/UT level:

• States and UT administrations are also required to set up Steering cum Monitoring Committees at the State, District and Block levels to oversee the implementation of the programme which function, mutatis mutandis, similar to those spelt out in para 3.1 for the NSMC. Besides, city level SMCs should also be constituted for all cities having a Municipal Corporation. A suggested composition of Steering-cum-Monitoring Committees at various levels is given at Annexure-8. A representative of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of India, should be invariably invited to meetings of the State/UT level Steering cum Monitoring Committee.
•  Every State Government /UT Administration will designate one of its Departments as the Nodal Department, which will take responsibility for the implementation of the programme. State Governments / UT Administrations may set up Implementation Cell attached to the State Nodal Department to over see the implementation of the programme by using a part of funds under MME.

3.3 State/ UT-specific Norms of Expenditure:
Taking into account the Central assistance available under NP-NSPE, 2006, every State Government/UT Administration will prescribe and notify its own norms of expenditure on the Scheme, based on which it will allocate funds for the implementation of the programme. The norms, thus notified, will be referred to as “State norms”. The State Norms would spell out inter alia, modalities for ensuring regular and uninterrupted provision of nutritious cooked meal. To ensure uninterrupted supply of cooked food in thousands of primary schools and EGS-AIE Centres scattered across the State is a challenging task. State Governments/UT Administrations will have to develop and circulate detailed guidelines taking into account common obstacles which may come in the way of regular supply of cooked mid-day meal, including for example:

1. Delay in flow of monetary assistance from the Centre to the States (e.g. due to late or defective Utilisation Certificates or unspent balances). State Governments will have to make adequate provision for the programme (both for centre and state) in their annual budget, in
2. anticipation of actual flow of Central assistance. It must be understood that Central Assistance as per norms given in para is committed, and will get transferred in due course. However, if for any reason, there is some delay in its actual transfer, that must not be allowed to interrupt actual provision of cooked mid-day meal to children.
3. Delay in release of funds sanctioned by the Central Government from the State Finance Department on account of the State’s ‘ways and means’ position. State Nodal Departments will need to ensure that the State Finance Department releases the funds intended for mid day meals expeditiously.
4. Delays on account of hierarchical level-wise releases from State to district to taluk/ block to gram Panchayat to School. Wherever possible States/ UT Administrations may consider electronic transfer of funds from State to Village level through banking channels.
5. Irregular supply of food grains from FCI godown or interruption in their timely transportation to schools. States will need to ensure that FCI gives priority to the mid-day meal programme. States should also ensure that a minimum of one-month buffer stock of foodgrains and cooking costs is available in each school.
6. Failure of the local implementation agency to adequately procure and stock up cooking ingredients.
7. Absence of cook for any reason, etc.

3.4 Functions of State Nodal Department:

1. The Department of School Education and Literacy, MHRD will convey the district wise allocation of food grains, cooking costs, construction of kitchen-cum-store, cooking-cum-kitchen devices as approved by the MDM-PAB to the State Nodal Department and the FCI. In addition the Department of School Education and Literacy, MHRD will also convey
2. sanctions relating to MME allocations. The State Nodal Department will convey district-wise allocations for the next financial year to all District Nodal Agencies.
3. In States where the function of Primary Education has devolved to Panchayat Raj Institutions, the State Nodal Department will convey the district-wise allocation to the District Panchayats.
4. The State Nodal Agency will ensure that the District Nodal Agencies have sub-allocated the monthly district allocation to the sub-district level which in turn will further allocate to each school.

3.5 Nodal Responsibility at the District and Block Level:

1. Every State Government/UT Administration will designate one nodal officer or agency at the district and block level (e.g. the District Collector, District/ Intermediate Panchayat, etc.) who shall be assigned over-all responsibility of effective implementation of the programme at the district/block level.
2. In States which have devolved the function of primary education either by legislation or executive order on Panchayats, the Chief Executive Officer of District Panchayats or the Executive Officer of Block Panchayats will be the Nodal Officer with overall responsibility for effective implementation of the programme at the district level. In such States, the responsibility for implementing the programme within their jurisdiction shall be that of the Panchayats and the Urban Local Bodies concerned which have been assigned the responsibility by the State.
3. The District Nodal Agency will ensure that each school is informed of its monthly allocation of food grains and financial sanctions for construction of kitchen-cum-store, cooking costs, kitchen-cumcooking devices, etc. It shall also identify the Transportation Agency to transport foodgrains from the nearest FCI godown to school. The transportations could be done once in a month.
4. The district/ taluk nodal agency will also take responsibility for developing indicative menus using locally available and culturally acceptable food items.

3.6 Management at the Local Level:

1. In States which have devolved the function of primary education through legislation and/or executive order on Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies, the responsibility of implementation and day to day supervision of the programme shall be assigned to the Gram Panchayat/Municipality. Standing Committees may be constituted by the Gram Panchayats and Municipalities to oversee the implementation of the programmes. Alternatively, already existing Standing Committees, which have been assigned the task of supervising education related issues may be entrusted the task of monitoring, review and taking other necessary steps for the smooth implementation of the scheme. The Gram Panchayat/Municipality may, in turn, assign responsibility of the day-to-day management of the programme at school level to the Village Education Committee/ School Management & Development Committee or Parent-Teacher Association as the case may be. The VEC/SMDC/PTA shall be responsible for the programme to the Gram Panchayat/Municipality.
2. Responsibility for Cooking/Supply of Cooked Mid-Day Meal As far as possible, responsibility for cooking/supply of cooked midday meal should be assigned to one of the following:-

• Local women’s/mothers’ Self-Help Group,
• Local Youth Club affiliated to the Nehru Yuvak Kendras,
• A voluntary organization fulfilling requirements laid down in para 3.9, and
• By personnel engaged directly by the VEC/SMDC/PTA/Gram Panchayat/Municipality.

3. In urban areas where a centralized kitchen setup is possible for a cluster of schools, cooking may wherever appropriate, be undertaken in a centralized kitchen and cooked hot meal may then be transported under hygienic conditions through a reliable transport system to various schools. There may be one or more such nodal kitchen(s) in an urban area, depending on the number of clusters which they serve.

3.7 Responsibility of Food Corporation of India (FCI):
It will be the responsibility of the FCI to ensure continuous availability of adequate food grains in its Depots [and in Principal Distribution Centres in the case of North East Region]. It will allow lifting of food grains for any month/quarter upto one month in advance so that supply chain of food grains remains uninterrupted.
For the NP-NSPE, 2006, FCI will issue food grains of best available quality, which will in any case be at least of Fair Average Quality (FAQ). FCI has also appointed a Nodal Officer for each State to take care of various problems in supply of food grains under MDM Programme.
The District Collector/CEO of Zila Panchayat will also ensure that food grains of at least FAQ are issued by FCI after joint inspection by a team consisting of FCI and the nominee of the Collector and/or Chief Executive Officer, District Panchayat, and confirmation by them that the grain conforms to at least FAQ norms.
FCI will keep samples of such food grains supplied by it for future verification and analysis; this will be available in case of any complaints regarding the quality of foodgrains supplied.

3.8 Nodal Agency/Agencies for transportation of food grains:
Transportation of food grains from nearest FCI depot to each Primary School/EGS-AIE Centre is a major logistical responsibility. State Government will be expected to make arrangements in this regard in the following manner: -

• Wherever appropriate, a single Govt./Semi-Government agency with State wide jurisdiction and network, e.g. State Civil Supplies Corporation, may be designated as the State Nodal Transport Agency. This Agency will be responsible for lifting food grains from FCI godowns and delivering them to designated authority at the taluk/block level. State Government will also need to make foolproof arrangements to ensure that the food grains are carried from the taluk/block level to each school, etc., in a timely manner.
• Alternatively, District/ Taluks Panchayats may be assigned the responsibility for different districts/ taluks or groups of districts/taluks in the State.

3.9 Association of Voluntary Organizations in the Programme:
The major groups of activities for which Voluntary Organizations may be associated with the programme are – Supply of cooked mid day meal, and Provision of resource support to the programme, e.g.

• Training and capacity building,
• Monitoring and evaluation, and
• Research.

3.9.1 Assignment of supply responsibilities to Voluntary Organizations:
Identification of voluntary organizations, which are suitable for being assigned supply responsibility under the NP-NSPE, 2006 for a school or group of schools may be done by the City level SMC for Municipal towns and District level SMC for all other areas. Once a voluntary organization is so identified, the decision to actually award supply work to it for a school or a group of schools may be taken by a body empowered in this behalf by the State Government, e.g. the Gram Panchayat, VEC/ SMC/ PTA, Municipal Committee/ Corporation, etc. The City or District SMC should keep the following aspects in mind while determining suitability of a voluntary organization for supply of  cooked mid day meal:

1. The voluntary agencies should not discriminate in any manner on the basis of religion, caste and creed, and should not use the programme for propagation of any religious practice.
2. The voluntary agency should be a body that is registered under the Societies Registration Act or the Public Trust Act, and should have been in existence for a minimum period of two years.
3. Commitment to undertake supply responsibility on a no-profit basis.
4. Financial and logistic capacity to supply the mid day meal on the requisite scale.
5. Commitment to abide by the parameters of NP-NSPE, 2006 particularly with regard to the prescription of eligible children, nutrition content etc
6. Willingness to work with PRIs/ Municipal bodies in accordance with relevant guidelines of the State Government.
7. It will furnish to the body assigning the work to it an Annual Report along with audited statement of accounts in terms of all grants received from the State Government, both in cash and kind, duly certified by an approved Chartered Accountant.
8. The voluntary organisation shall not entrust/ sub-contract the programme or divert any part of the assistance (food grains/money) to any other organization/agency.
9. Commitment to return to the State Government any permanent/ semi permanent assets acquired by the Voluntary Organisation from the grants received under the programme, once the voluntary organization ceases to undertake the supply work.
10. All accounts, stock and registers maintained by the voluntary organisation should be open to inspection by officers appointed by the State Government.
11. State Governments may prescribe such other conditions, as they may deem appropriate in addition to the conditions stated above.

3.9.2 Engaging Voluntary Organizations for Resource Support:
The State/ UT level SMC may identify voluntary organizations for providing resource support to NP-NSPE, 2006, in the form of training and capacity building programmes, monitoring and evaluation and research studies. Guidelines for this purpose will follow after consideration in the NSMC.

3.10 Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities connected with the programme:
Though NP-NSPE, 2006 does not envisage central assistance for IEC activities in connection with the programme, it is important that following messages are communicated to parents of the children in the target group, the community at large, and other persons connected with the programme, so as to derive optimal benefit from it:-

• It needs to be explained to parents belonging to weaker sections that School Mid-Day Meal is meant to be in addition to, and not a substitute for, meals which parents should in any case provide to children at home, or were so providing prior to introduction of cooked Mid-Day Meal programme.
• Importance of balanced and nutritious meals, and how to provide them economically, Safety, health and hygiene aspects,
• Community participation/contribution in, and supervision of the MDM programme, and
• Good storage, cooking, serving and eating practices.

State Governments/UT Administrations, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Municipal Bodies will be expected to undertake above IEC activities using their regular budget for publicity as also by mobilizing contributions from media groups, philanthropic organizations and the community.

3.11 Activity Mapping:
It is recommended that States / UT Administration initiate an activity mapping exercise in order to ensure that there is no overlapping of functions and responsibilities. The activity mapping exercise is based on the ‘Principle of Subsidiarity’, which means ‘what can best be done at a particular level should be done at that level alone, and not at higher levels’. For example, if condiments can be procured at the lowest level, namely the school or the village, its procurement should not be centralized at higher levels of administration.

An activity mapping exercise has been attempted below to guide State Governments and UT Administrations to initiate similar exercises. Activity Mapping, while identifying the levels at which different functions are required to be transacted, will have to be accompanied with delegation appropriate administrative and financial powers to the concerned level.

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